Sunderland will face a battle to keep Jack Clarke at the club this summer, and Regis Le Bris has offered an update on his future.
Sunderland were heavily reliant on Clarke last season.
The 23-year-old was often their only source of attacking threat and it led to Sunderland becoming very easy to defend against.
In 40 Championship games last season the dynamic winger scored 15 goals and assisted another four.
Throughout the 2022/23 season it was 47 league games, including two in the play-offs, and nine goals with 13 assists.
It’s no surprise he is on the radar of Premier League clubs with the likes of Lazio also having held interest in him over the past year.
Now, new boss Le Bris has offered an update on his position. He said: “It’s difficult to have guarantees because the market can be crazy sometimes, but I feel the ambition.
“Obviously the market and transfer window will not be as we’d expect it just now but we will adapt with the circumstances and at the end I think we’ll have a balanced team with players who are able to play our style of play and to perform on the pitch.”
Positive signs
The Northern Echo reports also claims Sunderland are calm regarding Clarke’s contract situation and are in no rush to sell him this summer. They report the Black Cats’ hand will be forced if a good enough bid comes in, but for now that remains a big if and there is a chance Clarke remains a Sunderland player.
He was crucial to Sunderland last season and there’s no reason why he can’t be again this time around. However, it will be hoped Sunderland’s attack is strengthened elsewhere so Clarke isn’t expected to do all of the work himself.
Positive signs
The Northern Echo reports also claims Sunderland are calm regarding Clarke’s contract situation and are in no rush to sell him this summer. They report the Black Cats’ hand will be forced if a good enough bid comes in, but for now that remains a big if and there is a chance Clarke remains a Sunderland player.
He was crucial to Sunderland last season and there’s no reason why he can’t be again this time around. However, it will be hoped Sunderland’s attack is strengthened elsewhere so Clarke isn’t expected to do all of the work himself.
Looking ahead
Sunderland will want to climb into the top half this season. Their campaign last time out was nothing short of poor, but it will be hoped now the former Lorient boss can give Sunderland an identity and results and consistency follows.
There is a lot of work to do behind the scenes to ensure the team are ready for the demands of the Championship. The current squad does have quality, but it does lack experience and depth in key areas.
There’s about four weeks to go before the start of the season and whilst the summer transfer window extends past that, it will be hoped most of their business is done in time for the new campaign kicking off. This would allow Le Bris the best chance possible of getting off to a good start this season.
His first competitive game in charge of Sunderland will be an away trip to Cardiff City next month.
