Sunderland transfers: Inside Sunderland's exciting Jack Clarke transfer deal

At Sunderland's Portugal training camp there was today a very welcome reunion.

Jack Clarke was spotted in full training kit at Leeds Bradford Airport on Saturday morning after the Black Cats reached an agreement for Spurs to bring him back to Wearside.

Significantly, the agreement is for a permanent transfer. Clarke has signed a long-term deal.

The news has been heartily welcomed by supporters and of course there is some sentiment in that. Expect that glorious assist at Hillsborough, driving to the byline before delivering an inch-perfect cross for Patrick Roberts, to be replayed all over social media.

The excitement goes beyond that nostalgia, though.

Clarke's arrival works for Sunderland on three different but significant levels.

One is that it helps keep the core of the group who won promotion together, which is something that Alex Neil in particular was very keen to do. That unity and momentum was one of the key reasons those out of contract signed up for another two years, and Clarke is an important part of that group (hence his desire to return).

It's also a deal that fits with how the Black Cats are trying to drive forward this summer.

Neil made reference to this after the signing of Dan Ballard, identifying two key criteria: "Daniel fits into our structure of being a young, up and coming player who also has Championship experience."

On both of those fronts, Clarke also fits the bill.

Part of the reason for recruiting Clarke in January was not just his versatility across the attacking positions, but also because his breakthrough at Leeds United suggested he would be a player unfazed by the expectations on Wearside.

Nothing about either the pressures of playing for Sunderland or the intensity of the second tier will come as a surprise to Clarke, and that gives him a solid chance of hitting the ground running.

The deal itself is also the kind of calculated risk that Sunderland are looking to take as they pivot to a sustainable recruitment model.

Ordinarily the 22-year-old would likely be out of the club's price range, given that he is believed to have initially cost Spurs in the region of £10 million.

But as he was in the last year of his deal, Spurs had little choice but to negotiate. Rather than lose him for a free next year, they have been able to recoup some of that initial investment and are now protected against the winger going some way to realising his potential on Wearside.

The deal is thought to be structured so that the immediate fee is modest, but will rise if Sunderland and/or Clarke progress well over the course of the contract.

Clarke is not yet the finished article but that is Sunderland's new model, to give talented players an environment where they can grow their value.

The Black Cats still have a lot of work to do, of course. Squad wise they are about where they finished last season, down on a striker and a goalkeeper.

This is going to be a challenging season, but this is more welcome evidence of a willingness to invest in the long term.

The Sunderland Echo's coverage of SAFC in Portugal is brought to you in association with Flex Joinery. Visit www.flexjoinery.co.uk for further details.