Why key Sunderland duo are probably better staying this summer despite Premier League transfer links

Sunderland duo Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke are reportedly attracting interest from Premier League clubs this summer.
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Sunderland’s season has only just concluded following their play-off defeat against Luton - yet attention has already turned to this summer’s transfer window.

The Black Cats will of course be looking to build on this campaign’s top-six finish with new additions in the coming months, yet they may also have to fend off interest for some of their prized assets.

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Over the weekend reports emerged that Patrick Roberts was attracting interest from Premier League clubs, while Jack Clarke has also been linked with top-flight sides in recent months.

Their performances this season make it even more remarkable that Sunderland managed to sign both players in League One last year - with the pair now probably playing the best football of their careers.

After signing for Manchester City from Fulham for a reported £11million in 2015, Roberts, 26, had several loan spells at Celtic, Girona, Middlesbrough, Derby and Troyes during a seven-year spell.

Earlier this year he spoke about finding a new home at Sunderland and reviving his career on Wearside. "It’s the first time since Fulham where I’ve stayed in one spot and can get settled and can get on with my football," said Roberts back in January.

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So, after making 42 Championship appearances this season (scoring five goals and providing seven assists), it seems clear Sunderland is the best place for the wideman.

A potential caveat is that Roberts will enter the final year of his Sunderland contract this summer, after signing a two-year deal last June.

That could make the Black Cats vulnerable to potential offers. Still, they have been successful negotiating new contracts with several of their key players over the last 18 months.

As for Clarke, the 22-year-old is under contract at Sunderland until 2026 after signing a four-year deal at the Stadium of Light last summer.

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Like Roberts, the winger has revitalised his career on Wearside following a big-money move to Tottenham, where he made just four senior appearances, in 2019.

Still at the early stages of his career, Clarke will have aspirations of getting another chance in the Premier League, yet a move this summer, after settling at Sunderland, would seem a little hasty at this stage.

This campaign Clarke started 44 of Sunderland’s 46 league games (more than any other outfield player) and played significantly more minutes than at any other stage of his career. The most appearances he’d previously made in a season was for Leeds (22) during the 2018/19 campaign.

Now at Sunderland the winger, who scored 11 goals and provided 13 assists during the 2022/23 campaign, is one of the first names on the team sheet and at a club where young players are flourishing in front of big crowds.

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And if Tony Mowbray’s side can build on this season’s sixth-place finish, why can’t their key players reach the Premier League on Wearside?

The same could be said for academy graduates Dan Neil and Anthony Patterson, who are also being tracked by top-flight clubs.

With Sunderland taking the approach to sign and promote younger players with potential, there will likely be a time when they have to sell a key asset.

Yet at this stage, following a successful first season back in the Championship, it seems many would be better off staying put for at least another year.

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