Here are three players Sunderland could look to sign after a recent update on Jack Clarke’s future.
Jack Clarke’s future at Sunderland has been in doubt since he was the subject of bids from Burnley last summer.
The winger had only looked even better this term, netting 15 goals before picking up an injury that sent the Black Cats into turmoil earlier this year.
Clarke has a long list of Premier League clubs that have already expressed interest i him, while Lazio were the only side to actually submit an offer for his signature during the January transfer window.
With Sunderland’s chances of winning promotion dead and buried now, supporters have accepted the fact that Clarke is most likely on his way in the summer, while Ian Harte’s recent comments have pretty much confirmed that.
As perSunderland Echo, the football agent said: “You know, he wants to play football. When he was playing before the injury he was playing with a smile on his face and helping the team. There was a clause in Jack’s contract that if he played a certain amount of games, which he had back earlier on in the season, then he was to be offered a new deal.
“There was an offer made but it wasn’t good enough. Every football club has its structures to work to but when you have a player like Jack sometimes structures have to be broken and I don’t think that is going to change unfortunately.
“We, meaning myself and Jack, were happy to sign an additional deal at Sunderland but I don’t think they are willing to budge, unfortunately. I think under the current structure that they have, I don’t think the offer will increase.”
The attacker will still have two years left on his contract this summer, so is likely to earn Sunderland over £20 million if he jumps up to the top flight.
It will be a huge task for Kristjaan Speakman to replace his quality and it could prove disastrous if the club fail to land someone who can net a similar amount of goals.
Here are three potential replacements for Jack Clarke…
Morgan Whittaker
Morgan Whittaker would provide Sunderland guaranteed goals, but that is also the reason why it seems the most ambitious.
The 23-year-old is currently the joint top goalscorer in the Championship with 18 goals, while he also has seven assists for Plymouth Argyle.
Whittaker is a sensational talent and could well be tempted by a move away at the end of the season, especially if the Pilgrims are relegated.
However, Lazio already tried to sign him when they failed with their Clarke bid, while the likes of West Ham and Fulham have also been linked.
Scott Twine
Scott Twine enjoyed most of his success with MK Dons in League One, where he bagged an exceptional 20 goals and 13 assists.
The 24-year-old then signed for Burnley in the Championship for £4 million, but wasn’t given much game-time in what was an extremely strong Clarets team.
Twine joined Hull City on loan for the first half of this season, though took a while to find his feet before netting four goals in his final ten games in Yorkshire. He then joined Bristol City and scored on his debut, but has so far spent most of his loan out injured.
Twine is clearly a very talented player and showed so much potential with MK Dons, but has struggled to really enjoy a consistent run in the Championship since.
He can play on either wing and as an attacking midfielder, making him a handy addition if he can rediscover his form.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
Sunderland were already linked with a move for Rak-Sakyi in January, but the winger ended up staying at Crystal Palace.
Rak-Sakyi was hailed as ‘brilliant‘ after claiming 15 goals and eight assists whilst on loan with Charlton Athletic last term, while he managed six cameo appearances for the Eagles at the start of the current campaign.
The 21-year-old has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since November though, and the arrival of new manager Oliver Glasner could put a dent in his hopes of regular game-time.