Sunderland must thank Spurs for handing them dazzling star: View | OneFootball

Jack Clarke would have wanted to make a name for himself at Tottenham Hotspur after making the brave move from Leeds United.

Unfortunately for him, he made just four senior appearances for the club and endured a series of fairly unsuccessful loan spells away from the English capital.

He even dropped down to League One during the early stages of 2022 to join Sunderland, but this proved to be a turning point for the 23-year-old, who was given a sufficient opportunity by Alex Neil to thrive.

Clarke didn't always shine throughout his loan spell at the Stadium of Light, but he did manage to provide the assist for Patrick Roberts' crucial late goal in the play-off semi-final second leg away at Sheffield Wednesday.

And with the Black Cats going on to win the final, they were finally able to get themselves back to the Championship following a long, frustrating spell in the third tier of English football.

It was an excellent time for the club, but Clarke was in limbo following the end of his loan spell.

Jack Clarke's permanent spell at Sunderland

The Wearside outfit brought in some talented players during the summer of 2022, with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus sanctioning permanent deals for the likes of Dan Ballard and Aji Alese, whilst Ellis Simms and Amad Diallo came in on loan.

All four of those (have) made an impact for the Black Cats, with the former two still at the club.

Clarke also joined during that summer and it didn't take long for the fans to realise that this was a signing that was going to pay dividends.

Having previously struggled out on loan in the second tier, it was clear that Clarke richly benefitted from being able to settle down at a club permanently.

He was particularly important during the 2022/23 campaign, with Ross Stewart spending much of that season injured and Simms being recalled by Everton midway through the season.

Joe Gelhardt may have arrived on loan, but he struggled at times and this meant the likes of Clarke and Diallo had to step up to the plate to try and fire the club into the play-offs.

They succeeded in that quest, but weren't quite able to guide the Black Cats to back-to-back promotions.

Winger Clarke was even more prolific in front of goal last term, scoring 15 times in 42 appearances.

That is an impressive record - and the Wearside club will be thanking Spurs for the fact they were willing to negotiate a cheap permanent deal for the 23-year-old two years ago.

Jack Clarke could generate a healthy profit for Sunderland this summer

It has been reported that the second-tier club may have only forked out £750,000 for the winger, with no add-ons included in the deal.

If that's the case, that is a brilliant deal for the Black Cats, who have benefitted from having Clarke at their disposal.

It's also believed that Spurs inserted a 25% sell-on clause in the deal back in 2022, but the Wearside outfit still look set to make a huge profit on the player, who is already attracting interest during the early stages of this summer. Brentford and Southampton are both thought to be keen on him.

With the player having two years left on his contract, and with interest in his signature already, this summer is probably the ideal time for the club to sell him, even though he's such an important first-teamer at the Stadium of Light.

Not only have the Black Cats benefitted from Clarke's contributions off the pitch, but they also look set to benefit financially from the 23-year-old.