Brentford could join Premier League rivals in transfer battle for Sunderland man

Brentford are interested in signing Sunderland attacker Jack Clarke.

Brentford are interested in Sunderland attacker Jack Clarke, who has been the subject of bids from Burnley.

Brentford admire Sunderland’s Jack Clarke

After a frustrating few years following a high-profile move from Leeds to Tottenham as a teenager, Clarke finally seems to have found his feet with the Black Cats.

The wide man enjoyed a brilliant individual campaign last time out, scoring nine goals and registering 12 assists as Tony Mowbray’s side reached the play-offs.

Therefore, it’s perhaps no surprise he is attracting interest from the top-flight, with Burnley pushing to bring Clarke to Turf Moor, although their latest offer, of around £9m, is thought to be way below what Sunderland would accept.

Vincent Kompany’s men may not have a straight run at Clarke though, as the Daily Mail has revealed that the Bees are also monitoring the 22-year-old, as they look to bring in a wide forward this summer.

The update states that another offer for Brennan Johnson is also under consideration for the Londoners, but they could struggle to get the attacker from Nottingham Forest.

Losing Clarke would be a major blow for Sunderland, who also saw the influential Amad Diallo return to Manchester United after his successful loan spell last season.

Sunderland summer transfer plans

All Championship clubs are vulnerable to losing players if they perform very well at this level, so it was inevitable that there would be interest in Clarke. His numbers last season were excellent, he has so much pace and quality, whilst at 22, you would think he can only get better. So, top-flight clubs are always going to be keen on someone like that.

For Sunderland, it then becomes about the money. They aren’t in a position where they need to sell, so the buying clubs need to stump up serious cash to get this done, as every individual has a price. So far, the £9m is surely way below what they would cash in on.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and there’s no doubt the fans are worried about the prospect of Clarke moving on, but the recruitment team at the Stadium of Light have shown enough in recent windows to suggest he will be replaced properly if a move does happen.