“Makes perfect sense” – Sunderland inform Burnley and Brentford of the cost of a January transfer: The verdict.
According to The Northern Echo, the Black Cats are anticipating winter interest in the player from Premier League sides Burnley and Brentford.
This has led the Wearside outfit to set an asking price worth in excess of £20 million for the forward.
Clarke has nine goals to his name already this Championship season, making him the team’s top scorer in the league.
Is Jack Clarke worth £20 million?
Burnley had an offer worth in excess of £10 million rejected last summer, but it remains to be seen whether they can produce an offer worth double that in January.
Here we ask our FLW writers their verdict on whether Sunderland should cash in on the 22-year-old midway through the campaign…
Declan Harte
Clarke is arguably the most important part of the Sunderland squad as the club looks to fight for promotion to the Premier League this season.
The winger is the team’s top scorer and one of their most consistent performers week-to-week.
It should have to take a fee in excess of £20 million to convince Sunderland to cash in on him mid-season.
This is an entirely fair evaluation of the player, especially given some of the fees other Championship sides have charged in recent windows, such as Joao Pedro and Harvey Barnes costing £30 million and £38 million respectively.
Clarke is just as important to Sunderland as those players were to their clubs, and his potential is just as high.
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The Black Cats turning down a bid worth more than £10 million for him in the summer, and now looking to charge over double that in January also shows how his valuation just continues to rise.
If they can hold out until the summer, then they may even earn as much as £30 million for him.
But he could also power them back to the top flight, which would only increase his value further and help ensure he remains at the Stadium of Light in the long-term.
Cashing in mid-season would only serve to hurt their promotion ambition.
