Everton and Burnley get transfer boost as contract talks stall for £15m target

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Contract talks between Jack Clarke and Sunderland have stalled with Premier League trio Crystal Palace, Burnley and Everton keen on the £15 million-rated winger. 

Sunderland, Championship play-off semi-finalists last term, have already lost one half of their wonderful wing duo; Amad Diallo returning to Manchester United following a supreme loan spell on the banks of the Wear. 

And if the Black Cats harbour any hopes of going one step further in 2023/24, losing Jack Clarke too would be a massive spanner in the works.  

According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace, Brentford and newly-promoted Burnley are all on red alert as talks over a new deal for Clarke hit the buffers.  

Everton are also interested, per i News. 

Is former Tottenham misfit Jack Clarke returning to the Premier League?

The good news, as far as Sunderland are concerned, is that the former Leeds United wonderkid is still under contract until 2026. And, after failing to make a single Premier League appearance during forgottable three years at Tottenham Hotspur, Clarke knows from experience that the grass is not always greener elsewhere. 

“He’s played in the majority of games and now it’s about building on that,” Clarke’s agent, one-time Leeds defender Ian Harte, tells i News after his client scored 11 goals and set up 13 more during a superb season under Mowbray. 

“He loves it. It’s a great group of lads. It’s a good time to be at Sunderland and I think all the Sunderland fans are in the best spirits they’ve been in a long time.

“Jack loves it at Sunderland and he’s got three years (of his contract) left. Of course, I can’t control what other clubs are going to do. If other clubs contact Sunderland, that’s unfortunately out of my control.”

Clarke, just 22 years of age, came to epitomise the unexpected success of a Sunderland side boasting the youngest average XI in the Championship last term. Jobe Bellingham (17), Luis Semedo (19) and Nectarios Triantis (20) could potentially join him at the Stadium of Light from Birmingham City, Benfica and Central Coast Mariners respectively.