"Important" - Sunderland's Jack Clarke call backed amid Crystal Palace, Lazio, and West Ham links | OneFootball

Sunderland star Jack Clarke has been the subject of intense transfer speculation in the closing stages of the January window.

He has attracted interest from the Premier League, such as Crystal Palace and West Ham United, and abroad, with the deadline fast approaching.

It has been reported that Lazio have made offers to sign the player, which have been rejected by the Black Cats.

Two bids have been turned down by the Championship side, as they tout a figure north of £20 million as an asking price for the winger.

Clarke has contributed 13 goals and three assists to the Wearside outfit so far this season, with the club chasing promotion to the Premier League.

Carlton Palmer believes that Sunderland are making the right call by holding firm in their decision to keep Clarke at the club.

The former midfielder has claimed that the 23-year-old can re-evaluate his position in the summer, depending on whether Sunderland gain promotion or not.

“Lazio have had an offer of €16 million (£13.1 million) rejected from Sunderland for Jack Clarke,” Palmer told Football League World.

“Jack Clarke has been in outstanding form for Sunderland so far this season, scoring 13 goals and contributing three assists.

“This form has seen Premier League and European sides clamouring for his signature.

“Sunderland have set the figure at €25 million, which equates to £21 million.

“If they want to sign Jack, this would be a huge blow for Sunderland so late in the January transfer window, and they may not have enough time to find a suitable replacement.

“It’s believed that Sunderland will owe 25 percent of any future sale to Tottenham Hotspur, which is playing a role in driving up the asking price.

“Sunderland are right to stand their ground on the fee, why not? He’s a very talented player.

“If Sunderland have genuine ambitions to get into the play-offs, it’s important to keep Clarke.

“At 23, he’s only going to get better, he’s under contract until the summer of 2026.

“Sunderland and Clarke can revisit the situation in the summer, depending on whether Sunderland are in the Premier League or not.”

Michael Beale’s side currently sit seventh in the Championship table, albeit having played a game more than some of their play-off rivals.

The gap to the top six is just one point, with Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw between sixth-place Coventry City and Bristol City causing Mark Robins’ team to open the gap between the two clubs.

Next up for Sunderland is a big derby clash away to Middlesbrough on 4 February.

Clarke too important to sell now

Holding onto Clarke is absolutely the right decision for Sunderland for the time being.

Given how late in the window it is, losing him would be a massive blow in their promotion battle whatever the fee involved.

Finding a replacement on short notice would be next to impossible given how important he is to the team and that he's one of the best attackers in the Championship.

Waiting until the summer is the sensible decision, as there is no doubt that he will remain a very valuable player until then, and Sunderland’s league status will be more certain at that stage as well.