Jack Clarke: What we know about Sunderland star's future amid West Ham and Crystal Palace transfer talk

Speculation regarding Jack Clarke's future continues to intensify as the January window steps up - with West Ham United the latest club to be linked with a move for Sunderland's star winger.

So what do we know and what can fans expect? Here we take a closer look...

What's the situation in the early stages of the January window?

Clarke has had a number of long-term admirers given his exceptional form in 2023, though Burnley were the only side to firm up their interest with formal bids. They were rejected by Sunderland, falling well short of their valuation.

The question in January is whether any of the other Premier League clubs who have been monitoring Clarke's progress will come forward in this window, particularly given the way he has kicked on to another level entirely in the first half of the Championship campaign. West Ham United have the strongest interest at this stage, with David Moyes' options in forward areas limited by injury and availability. Michail Antonio has suffered a setback in his recovery, Lucas Paqueta is set to be out for around and month and Jarrod Bowen for around three weeks. Mohammed Kudus is also unavailable due to his involvement in the African Cup of Nations, with numerous sources reporting that this will force West Ham into the market.

Crystal Palace have also been tracking Clarke's progress but there are others, both in the UK and abroad - as you would expect given Clarke's stellar form. It seems unlikely at this stage that Sunderland's resolve won't be tested at some stage this month.

What's Jack Clarke's stance ahead of this window?

Clarke's stance is understood to be largely unchanged from the summer window. Then, he told the club that he was in no rush to leave but would discuss a potential move to the top tier if a bid landed that satisfied all parties. Though some close to Clarke felt Burnley's eventual level of bid should have been accepted, his commitment and happiness to play for Sunderland was never questioned by any party. To that end, Clarke's form since the summer speaks for itself.

The winger understood and understands now the value of his starring role in Sunderland's team, and revels in the stability and consistency he has been able to enjoy in front of an adoring home support. A difficult experience at Spurs means Clarke is in no rush to move on, but naturally he is ambitious and wants to prove himself at the highest level. Heading into the January window, the expectation from all parties was that he would stay at Sunderland until the end of the season. Ideally he could step up with the Black Cats were they to win promotion, but if not then that could well prove a natural point to reassess.

Clarke is therefore highly unlikely to push for a move this month, but a huge bid from an established Premier League or other top-tier club will of course be tempting.

What's Sunderland's stance on a potential January sale?

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman was asked about Clarke's future at Michael Beale's unveiling and made clear that the club were not looking to sell in the current window.

"The football club has turned down numerous bids on numerous players over the last couple of years, and we have sold one player. I feel it is a slight misrepresentation around the direction of travel and what the objective of the club is because if we were a selling club, we would have made loads of sales - and we haven't," he said.

"When players do really, really, well and they attract the attention of the Premier League outfits then naturally that is going to be a difficult moment. But our ownership has been rock-solid around that and I don't think we will be looking to trade players when we have that opportunity to get promoted."

Sunderland are well aware of Clarke's current importance to the side and their promotion prospects, and that at this stage there is no obvious successor to him in the squad. Signing someone who could match his contribution in a notoriously inflated January market would be a major challenge.

Every player has their price, though, and with contract talks at an impasse, a huge bid would leave Sunderland with a difficult decision to make.

OK - what kind of bid are talking?

Former boss Tony Mowbray gave an insight into the club's thinking in his final press conference before departing, asked if Clarke was worth more now than when he initially left Leeds United for Spurs (for a fee around £10 million).

"I'll let you decide that, but I think so," he said.

"I know for a fact that the club wouldn't even consider... probably double that in the modern market."

That would, it should be noted, be broadly in line with many of the other fees that have seen top Championship forwards move to the Premier League.

It's also worth remembering that Spurs retain a significant sell-on clause as part of the bargain price that Sunderland negotiated to sign Clarke permanently in the summer of 2022, which also factor into Sunderland's thinking.

What chance of a new contract to put all the speculation to bed?

At this stage it seems highly unlikely. Talks have not progressed since the summer, where there was a significant gap between the two parties. That doesn't mean that a future deal is off the table given Clarke's happiness at the club and how highly he is valued, but at present it is likely beyond Sunderland's wage ceiling - that is simply the reality of trying to compete with Premier League clubs whose budgets are significantly bigger.

Sunderland want to lift that wage ceiling over time, but it will take either promotion to the Premier League or major sales to do so to the level where they could soon match what would be on offer elsewhere. Of course, Clarke still has two-and-a-half years left on his current deal and so Sunderland are in a strong position at this time. That's why a summer departure has always appeared more likely, if promotion is not secured.