Sunderland are hoping to win the fight to recruit Sunderland striker Jack Clarke this summer.
Clarke has impressed in the Championship this season, with 15 goals and four assists in 33 league appearances.
He has been a crucial player for Sunderland, scoring against Birmingham on Saturday, and is allegedly eager to return to Premier League football after a difficult spell at Tottenham.
That would imply leaving the Black Cats if they do not get promotion this season, with Michael Beale’s team presently 10th in the league table and four points behind the play-off spots.
According to The Sun, Southampton are preparing to make a £15 million approach for Clarke in order to get him to go south.
Clarke, aged 18, joined Tottenham for over £10 million in 2019 from Leeds United, who had just lost in the Championship play-offs to reach the Premier League.
However, things did not work out in North London, and he left permanently for Sunderland in July 2022 after failing to make a league appearance for Spurs in three years.
During his stint with the club, he went on loan to QPR, Stoke, Sunderland, and Leeds before making the permanent transfer to the Stadium of Light.
Following their relegation last year, Southampton had high ambitions of immediately returning to the Premier League under Russell Martin.
The Saints are now third in the Championship table, two points behind second-place Ipswich and holding the final automatic promotion spot with a game in hand.
A number of current Premier League clubs are reportedly interested in Clarke, with West Ham linked with a January bid that never materialised.
Brentford and Crystal Palace are also great fans of the former England U21 player, and Lazio is apparently interested as well.
Tottenham are said to have a 25% sell-on clause in Clarke’s future move, which could boost the fee paid for him.
Clarke signed a four-year deal with Sunderland in 2022.
