Sunderland may not be able to hang on to their top stars this summer – that’s the opinion of manager Regis Le Bris according to the Northern Echo.
The new Black Cats boss is fending off interest for two key players: Jobe Bellingham and former Leeds youth Jack Clarke. The former might be playing second fiddle to his brother right now, but Lazio, Brentford and Crystal Palace are thought to be interested.
The Italian side are also believed to be interested in Clarke, who could be a target for several Premier League clubs, including Southampton. Clarke has two years left to run on his existing deal, but that would take him to 25 – an age where he could walk away for free.
It is believed the Black Cats are calm about that situation, not worried if a bid doesn’t come in for him, but Le Bris has now admitted that he may struggle to hold on to those players to the Echo.
However, he offset that news by stating he feels whatever happens, the club will come out of the current window balanced and able to compete at the top end of the division.
“It’s difficult to have guarantees because the market can be crazy sometimes, but I feel the ambition,” said Le Bris.
“Obviously the market and transfer window will not be as we’d expect it just now but we will adapt with the circumstances and at the end I think we’ll have a balanced team with players who are able to play our style of play and to perform on the pitch.”
Speaking specifically about Clarke, the former Lorient boss admitted he would like to see the winger remain on Wearisde.
“He is an important player – other players are very important for the team also. If we are able to keep the core of this team, I think it will be very helpful to enable us to perform quickly, with one, two or three players more.
“He is very important, as are all the players.”
Clarke joined the Wearisde outfit in 2022 after three seasons with Spurs. During that time, he featured on loan for Leeds, QPR, and Stoke before a stint with Sunderland in the third tier. He’s now bagged 26 goals in 92 matches for them, including 15 in the Championship last season.
The Black Cats finished 16th in the Championship last season, just two wins outside of the bottom three. Le Bris only recently joined the club after a protracted search for a manager that involved links to the likes of Will Still and Pascal Jansen.
Writer’s View
There’s no doubt that Sunderland fans will want to see Clarke and Bellingham stay at the Stadium of Light. Player of their quality do not come cheap, and despite being a league of high wages, there’s not a lot of money floating around the division for transfer fees right now.
Are they replaceable? Yes, Hull showed exciting wingers are available at the right price when they snapped up Philogene, but you have to search and negotiate hard. The season is looming, and the last thing Black Cats fans want is another saga played out in the papers, as the manager search was.
When will they finally gain some stability and a grounding so that this once-great club can return to its former glory? Fans will hope the coming weeks bring that.
Editor In Chief