Burnley make multi-million pound offer as they look to win transfer race for Sunderland player | OneFootball

Burnley have made an offer of an initial £7m as they look to sign Sunderland’s Jack Clarke this summer, although it’s unlikely to be accepted.

Will Jack Clarke leave Sunderland?

The 22-year-old has just enjoyed a brilliant individual campaign for the Black Cats, scoring nine goals and registering 12 assists as Tony Mowbray’s side reached the play-offs, when they were then beaten over two legs by Luton Town.

Failure to win promotion to the Premier League has left Sunderland vulnerable to losing some key men this summer, which includes Clarke.

It had been reported that the likes of Crystal Palace and Brentford were tracking the former Leeds man, but it’s Burnley who are pushing ahead to try and win the race for Clarke.

The Clarets have already had an offer for the attacker turned down, and The Sun journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that they’ve returned with a fresh offer, which is worth £7m plus add-ons.

However, the same update states that the Wearside outfit are holding out for at least £10m guaranteed, so they are likely to reject the offer.

Even though Clarke has three years left on his deal at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland were hoping to reward the player for his fine form with a new contract. But, those talks were believed to have stalled, indicating that Clarke may be keen on a move this summer.

Is Jack Clarke worth more than £7m?

Of course, we don’t know the exact details of this bid from Burnley, but in terms of a guaranteed fee, it’s hard to see why Sunderland would accept £7m for a talent like Clarke. His numbers last season were terrific, and he has really matured as a player in the past 12 to 18 months, so he should command a much higher sum.

Crucially, the contract length means the Black Cats aren’t going to be bullied in the market, and it has protected the club this summer, as they will not lose him on the cheap.

Ultimately, it’s down to Burnley, or any other interested club, to show Sunderland the cash. Every player has his price, so it’s not like he won’t leave, but you’d think it needs to be a lot more than an initial £7m. Top players in the Championship have gone for double or treble that amount over the years, and Clarke certainly falls into that category. So, it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming weeks.