Selling Jobe Bellingham this summer could help Sunderland hold onto Jack Clarke
HIGHLIGHTS
- Sunderland may have to sell Jobe Bellingham to keep Jack Clarke due to financial reasons.
- Both players have attracted interest, with Bellingham linked to Premier League clubs including Tottenham.
- Losing Clarke, who was a top performer last season, could be a major blow for Sunderland.
For the second time in recent memory, Sunderland is in disarray going into the summer transfer window and may need to sell one of its best players in order to retain another star.
It may come down to sacrificing Jobe Bellingham so that the Black Cats, who have been without a regular manager since Michael Beale’s dismissal in February, can retain Jack Clarke for at least one more season.
The two were the most impressive players for Sunderland during a challenging season that saw them place 16th just a year after qualifying for the Championship play-offs.
Bellingham finished his debut season at the Stadium of Light with seven goals and one assist in 45 league games, while Clarke finished with fifteen goals and three assists in 40 Championship games. Together, the two scored more than a third of Sunderland’s 52 league goals in the previous season, which was the second-worst return of any top-16 side in the Championship.
Not unexpectedly, there have been rumours that Bellingham and Clarke are planning to leave Wearside this summer.
The Premier League is showing interest in Bellingham. Tottenham, Crystal Palace, and Brentford are among the teams connected to the 18-year-old, who signed a £3 million deal with Sunderland from Birmingham last summer.
Premier League trio linked with Jobe Bellingham
Bellingham’s entourage has reportedly had discussions with Spurs to determine whether the player will be available during the next transfer window, according to Teamtalk. The midfield player is valued by the Black Cats at £20 million, but Birmingham has a 15% sell-on clause, so they stand to gain from any further sales.
The England Under-19 midfielder is regarded as a vital member of the team by Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus. However, Bellingham’s sale for at least £20 million would provide the Black Cats with enough cash to retain Clarke, who may fetch as much as €30 million (£25.5 million) this summer.
Bellingham is being watched by several English and foreign teams, according to The Guardian, and a bidding battle would further strengthen Sunderland’s finances.
Bellingham’s older brother Jude played at Borussia Dortmund before moving to Real Madrid last summer. Several teams are rumoured to have expressed interest in the adolescent.
Notably, despite the uncertainty surrounding Beale’s succession, Bellingham’s contract with Sunderland expires in the summer of 2027, putting them in a strong negotiation position.
After Tony Mowbray was fired in December, the former Rangers manager took over, but he was fired himself after just 12 games and 63 days in office.
Will Still, 31, appeared to be on the verge of being appointed by the club, but last week, he unexpectedly withdrew from consideration.
Still, he resigned from his position at Stade de Reims, a Ligue 1 team, before the season ended, and it is anticipated that he will stay in France to take over Lens.
Why Sunderland must keep Jack Clarke
In January, Clarke was connected to West Ham United, Everton, Bournemouth, Leicester City, Southampton, Brentford, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Lazio. This summer, he is drawing interest once more.
The Northern Echo reports that Southampton has made the 23-year-old a target in an attempt to strengthen their attacking lineup following their first-ever promotion back to the top division.
Clarke signed a two-year contract with Sunderland after leaving Tottenham, and it runs out at the end of the 2026 campaign.
Bellingham’s loss may be easier to accept than Clarke’s exit, despite Sunderland’s continued insistence that they want to keep both players.
Even though Clarke did not score or provide an assist in the final seven games following his comeback from injury in April, he is still Sunderland’s most valuable player and, on his day, one of the best attacking weapons in the Championship.
Should Clarke be lost to a well-established Premier League team, it would be very hurtful for whoever takes over as manager to see him switch from the red and white of Sunderland to the red and white of Southampton. This would be especially painful for Black Cats supporters.
| Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham 2023-24 stats in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
| Jack Clarke | 40 | 15 | 4 | 6 | – |
| Jobe Bellingham | 47 | 7 | 1 | 6 | – |
The feeling of losing some of their best players to Southampton is well-known to the supporters; in September, striker Ross Stewart moved to St Mary’s for a £10 million sum.
To make matters worse, Sunderland would have started the season as contenders for promotion to Southampton and appeared to have solidified their credentials by crushing Russell Martin’s team 5-0 at home in September, a performance that set off a run of four straight defeats for the visitors.
Sunderland, however, sat in fourth place and were riding high under Mowbray. But after five months, the Saints were celebrating promotion, with a massive 31 points and 12 spots separating the two teams.
While it would be devastating to lose Bellingham so quickly, the Black Cats may be able to retain onto the talisman for at least another season if they manage to hold onto Clarke, who might be crucial to their efforts to imitate Southampton.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Leave a Reply