UNEXPECTED: “Now finalize and medicals fixed to be…..” Regis Le Bris most cherished Sunderland Player set to make a permanent move to join League rivals despite Le Bris effort on keeping Player…. Who should be blamed.
If Sunderland is going to make a serious push for promotion this season, they’ll have to do it without Jack Clarke, who is close to completing a move to Ipswich.
Keeping Clarke in the Championship for another season was always going to be difficult, especially with him entering the final two years of his contract and Sunderland unable to meet the terms needed to extend it.
Clarke is now set to join the Premier League newcomers, leaving Sunderland scrambling to find a replacement for the winger.
The transfer fee is slightly below Sunderland’s £25 million valuation, but it includes a significant sell-on clause.
Clarke will travel to Ipswich on Friday for a medical and is expected to sign a long-term contract with the Tractor Boys.
Meanwhile, Sunderland’s focus will shift to finding a replacement for Clarke. Romaine Mundle was brought in as part of a succession plan, though he is still raw and developing. However, the club holds him in high regard and believes he has great potential.
Similar to Clarke when he first joined, Sunderland is confident that Mundle will improve significantly with regular playing time, but they must consider whether he is ready for that step.
Other options within the squad include Abdoullah Ba, Nazariy Rusyn, and Ian Poveda, who could be rotated if a clear solution doesn’t emerge in the transfer market.
This situation will be a major test of Sunderland’s much-discussed ‘model’. Selling top players after developing them is part of the club’s ongoing cycle, which they embrace. The key question now is whether they can replicate Clarke’s success with Mundle, and fans will be watching closely to see if the club’s ambition in the transfer market, bolstered by sales, matches their own.