Southampton is reportedly abandoning plans to sign Sunderland’s Jack Clarke. Clarke has been a focal point of transfer talks recently, with Burnley’s bids being turned down by Sunderland a year ago and Lazio also trying to attract him away from the Stadium of Light last January.
Southampton, who were promoted to the Premier League last season under Russell Martin, have also been rumored to be interested in signing Clarke. He scored 15 goals and provided four assists in the Championship this season.
Southampton have been interested in Clarke since last January, but their promotion now enables them to seriously consider a deal, with their Premier League status likely to capture the player’s attention this summer.
However, Alan Nixon has indicated that Southampton are hesitant to pursue a deal for Jack Clarke due to Sunderland’s valuation of £18 million, which reportedly could be as high as £20 million to £30 million according to recent reports. Additionally, Nixon mentions that Sunderland’s demands could also complicate Southampton’s efforts to sign goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. Southampton had considered Patterson as a replacement for the injured Gavin Bazunu but are now exploring other options, as manager Russell Martin prefers not to rely solely on Alex McCarthy.
Nixon further notes that Sunderland are seeking between £15 million to £20 million for Anthony Patterson, whereas Southampton are inclined to negotiate at roughly half of those figures. Patterson’s impressive performances for Sunderland’s first team have sparked transfer speculation, with Arsenal, Liverpool, and Celtic reportedly interested in a potential move during the upcoming summer transfer window.
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