Lazio reportedly made a bid for former Leeds United player Jack Clarke, but Sunderland reportedly declined. With 13 Championship goals to his credit as Sunderland looks to return to the Premier League, Clarke has been one of the team’s standout players this year.
Due to his impressive achievements, he has reportedly drawn interest from many elite teams this month, including Burnley, West Ham United, and Brentford. But the Daily Mail claims that Lazio’s bid for Clarke—who began his career with the Whites—was rejected.
It is unclear if the Serie A team, who are eager to sign a winger this month and have been connected to Leeds’ Wilfried Gnonto, would make another approach before the transfer deadline of February 1. The report states the bid was around £14 million. Additionally, rumors have it that Sunderland and Clarke’s agents are negotiating a contract extension at the Stadium of Light.
As a young player, Clarke attended Leeds for nine years, progressing through the academy and into the first squad. In 2018, he made his debut playing for Marcelo Bielsa’s team. In his first season with the Whites, he went on to make 25 appearances across all competitions, scoring twice against Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.
Due to his achievements at Elland Road, he was able to secure a £10 million summer transfer to Tottenham in 2019. However, he found it difficult to settle in north London and several loan attempts ended in failure. But in 2022, when he helped Sunderland win League One, he made a permanent move to the Black Cats, and his career has taken off ever since.
As a full-time Sunderland player, Clarke has played in 81 games and scored 24 goals.
