Sunderland have had a promising start to the season, and fans will be hopeful that this is the year they return to the Premier League.
Under Tony Mowbray, the Black Cats have played some truly attractive football this season and are definitely capable of beating anyone on their day.
A slew of young players brimming with talent has propelled them into the early promotion picture this year, with former winger Jack Clarke leading the charge.
Jack Clarke is regaining his form.
Clarke has been quite impressive this season, and he appears to be regaining his best form at Sunderland.
He was a genuine bright spark at Leeds United, forcing a move to Spurs, but the move did not pay off, and he lost his way a little bit.
However, he is showing indications of growth at Sunderland, which has piqued the interest of top-flight clubs once more.
He may be leery of such offers, but if a Premier League club approaches him in January, there will be natural interest in a move, which may benefit Sunderland as well.
Clarke’s big payday might drive Sunderland’s promotion push.
Obviously, losing one of their greatest players in Clarke would be a setback for Sunderland, but it may turn out to be something that benefits them in the long run.
According to Football Insider, the Black Cats would accept a bid of £15 million for the winger, with Brentford and Burnley also interested in the attacker.
That’s a lot of money, and if it arrived in January, it could clear the way for Sunderland to reinvest and bring in two or three good players to help them with their promotion quest – which they’ll hope is still intact by the middle of the season.
Of course, losing Clarke and what he provides to the team would be a loss, but if Sunderland can get a good price for him and utilize it wisely in the market to add to their squad, it might be a win-win situation.
What happens with the problem will have to wait till later.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23666437/1240575048.jpg)
Brentford and Burnley may not even make a bid, Sunderland may demand much more than the reported cost, Clarke may not want to leave, and Sunderland may not even be in the promotion race to need to bring in additional players.
A lot can and presumably will change between now and January, but if Clarke leaves for an eight-figure amount, there should be cautious confidence that Sunderland’s season will not be ruined.
They have a fine roster with or without him, and they may enhance it even more if he does leave in the middle of the season to join a Premier League club.
