Sunderland’s crucial transfer call as ex-Tottenham and Leeds man Jack Clarke shows value after Burnley bids

Alex Pritchard had already lifted his arms in the air after Sunderland teammate Jack Clarke had skipped past defender Hayden Carter inside Blackburn’s penalty area.

Clarke still had work to do as he subsequently took the ball past goalkeeper Aynsley Pears and centre-back Dominic Hyam, before scoring The Black Cats’ third goal in a 3-1 win at Ewood Park.

Given the winger’s form and confidence, it always seemed likely he would score his fifth goal of the season when he burst into the opposition’s box.

After seven league games this term, Clarke has scored a third of Sunderland’s 15 Championship goals and is the joint top scorer in the division, along with Plymouth striker Ryan Hardie and Coventry forward Matt Godden.

And while Sunderland’s young team have gelled extremely well in recent weeks, the importance of having an obvious match winner like Clarke could prove significant for their promotion ambitions.

The 22-year-old was subject to multiple bids from Burnley over the summer, yet the offers fell well short of Sunderland’s valuation.

As Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray has said, Clarke was never pushing for a move with three years left on his current contract. The winger has ultimately steered his career back on track at the Stadium of Light, after his big-money move from Leeds to Tottenham in 2019 didn’t work out, and is grateful for his opportunities at Sunderland.

Clarke is one of the first names on the team sheet in a side which is getting the best out of his attacking abilities and look set for another top-six challenge this campaign.

He significantly has the most one-vs-one dribbles in the Championship so far this season (93, with QPR’s Ilias Chair in second with 62), with a 61.3 per cent success rate (according to Wyscout).

Clarke has also had the most touches inside the opposition’s penalty area in the second tier (42), highlighting his freedom and responsibilities to make more goalscoring contributions.

If he carries on in this vein of form, it won’t be long before the 22-year-old gets another chance in the Premier League - whether that’s with Sunderland or elsewhere.