When the FA slapped that transfer embargo on Derby County last week, any hopes the club may have had of luring Matt Clarke back for a third spell at Pride Park went up in smoke.
The Brighton and Hove Albion-owned centre-back had spent each of the past two seasons on loan at Pride Park.
But with Derby now banned from signing players on a permanent basis – the Rams aren’t allowed to pay loan fees for transfer targets either – Wayne Rooney will have to make do without arguably his most reliable defender.
Ball-playing centre-half Clarke faces an uncertain future, then, with less than two months of the transfer window remaining.
Brighton want £5 million for Clarke – a fee that probably would have ruled out Derby anyway – with West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United now going head to head for his signature, according to The Sun.
Could Matt Clarke shore up leaky West Brom defence?
Whether Clarke would be the man to reinforce West Brom’s less-than-reliable back line is anyone’s guess.
The Baggies conceded a league-high 76 goals en route to relegation from the Premier League last season. And, while there are no Harry Kanes or Mo Salahs in the Championship, a repeat of those error-strewn displays can’t be allowed if the Baggies are serious about securing an immediate return to the big time.
At Derby, Clarke will be missed. And, thanks to that transfer embargo, replacing him looks nigh-on impossible too.
Here’s what some Derby County fans on Twitter had to say about the Clarke transfer reports:
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