Sunderland star Jack Clarke has appeared on the radar of Europa Conference League winners West Ham United, according to The Guardian.
David Moyes is keen to add some reinforcements to his squad during this transfer window, and Clarke has emerged as a potential signing for the Scottish manager. The Sunderland winger joined the club in July of 2022 from Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee.
The Hammers aren’t alone in their interest in Clarke, with several other clubs in the Premier League showing an interest in the 23-year-old in recent weeks. He has 12 goals in 26 games so far this season in the Championship and is the Black Cats’ leading goalscorer in the competition.
Sky Sports News have also reported on the situation today and suggested Sunderland are in no hurry to sell Clarke. The former England under-20 international has a contract until 2026 with the Wearside club.
Burnley, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace have already registered an interest in Clarke. The Hammers will face a battle to convince him to play his football at the London Stadium, but there is a chance at regular game time due to their lack of depth at left-wing. Jarrod Bowen has been playing as a striker this season due to Michail Antonio’s injury, with Lucas Paqueta filling in when fit.
It’s expected that the the Championship promotion-chasers would rather sell Clarke in the summer, as opposed to losing him midway through a promotion battle. Micheal Beale’s side currently sit sixth, and while automatic promotion may be out of reach, the play-offs are a huge possibility.
A market value of around £15 million has been quoted for the winger. West Ham are said to be the club showing the most interest at the moment, but no bid or move has been made just yet.
ExWhuEmployee has suggested that a left winger is a priority for the club this January. The London club have suggested removing the sell-on percentages of players sold to Sunderland to lower the price of Clarke. The most recent transfer between the two was Pierre Ekwah last January, who joined the Championship club for an undisclosed fee.
Writer’s View
West Ham signing Sunderland’s Clarke could be a massive for them. Said Benramhma has been off form for much of this season, and their options out wide on the left are not as strong as the teams around them at present. Qualification for Europe requires having a big squad, and Moyes will be mindful of the drop in quality between the starting eleven and the players below them.
The former Stoke City loanee could be the start of the attempt the bridge that gap, but prying him from the Stadium of Light in the middle of a possible promotion season would require the Hammers to go above and beyond with their attempts to land him.