"We're disappointed" - Key Sunderland figure speaks out on Jack Clarke exit to Ipswich Town | OneFootball

Sunderland's Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman has voiced his disappointment at losing Jack Clarke to Ipswich Town.

Key Takeaways

Ipswich Town have signed Jack Clarke from Sunderland on a five-year contract, with Kristjaan Speakman said to be disappointed at the latest news.

Sunderland knew going into this summer that it is more than likely they would be saying farewell to Clarke at some stage. They have him to thank for plenty of their recent success, with the player developing rapidly at the Stadium of Light over the last few years.

Clarke's form has continued into this season with a goal and an assist in their opening two league fixtures, and he has become the key talismanic figure in both a goal-scoring and creative sense for the Black Cats.

The 23-year-old's contract expired in 2026 and, with this in mind, the current window was always likely to be the best opportunity for them to secure a big fee for him.

Clarke was left out of the starting line-up against Burnley on Saturday ahead of his move to Portman Road, with Romaine Mundle - his replacement - securing the winner at the Stadium of Light.

Kristjaan Speakman reacts to Jack Clarke's Sunderland exit

Despite other interest from Leeds United and Southampton, Ipswich stole a march, having firmed up their interest by making an initial bid in excess of £15 million for Clarke, according to Martin Hardy of The Times.

A fee was then confirmed to have been agreed by Fabrizio Romano, who believes a £20 million deal has been struck, with add-ons included in this agreement. The bonuses, in this case, are practically guaranteed to be paid, according to Michael Graham.

This deal is set to include add-ons as well as a sell-on percentage as part of the agreement - which should allow them to financially benefit from Ipswich’s future sale of Clarke.

Of course, many Sunderland fans remain disappointed at his departure, despite the favourable financial deal for the club. Their Sporting Director, Kristjaan Speakman, said: "Jack is an incredibly gifted player, who has played an important role in our progress throughout the last three seasons.

"Understandably, based on his development and performances, he has a desire to play in the Premier League and we respect this position.

"We're disappointed that he’s leaving, but we’re proud of the work we’ve undertaken to help elevate him to this opportunity.

"Jack is a player rightly held in high regard by his team-mates and the club’s staff and supporters, who I’m sure will all join me in wishing him well for the future."

The impact of Jack Clarke leaving Sunderland to join Ipswich Town

Clarke's output and contribution will be sorely missed by Sunderland, and it will be interesting to see how the Black Cats can adequately replace him.

Adding more depth and quality to their forward department should help Sunderland to replace him, but they may also need a replacement winger despite Mundle's impressive strike on Saturday.

Not replacing him with a high-quality player would be a bit of a risk, even if more quality is added to their striker department as well. The funds could be put to use across multiple areas, including up front and out wide.

From Ipswich's perspective, he is a much better player than the one who last featured at Premier League level with Spurs, having developed and polished his game in recent seasons.

They have someone who can thrive in transition by carrying the ball, and that is well-suited to Kieran McKenna's style of play as a team that is expected to play directly on the counter-attack in the majority of their games.