Report: Why Leeds United missed out on signing Jack Clarke as he completes a £20m move to Ipswich
Leeds United were heavily linked with a move to bring Jack Clarke back from Sunderland earlier this month, but the winger has opted to join newly-promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town instead.
Clarke, 23, was highly regarded as one of the best wingers in the Championship before his departure from Sunderland.
He scored 51 goals in 114 games for Sunderland, playing a crucial role in their return to the second tier.
Sunderland started their Championship campaign strongly with two wins and two clean sheets in their opening matches against Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday, both featuring Clarke.
However, he was absent from the weekend’s 1-0 win over Burnley, even though Sunderland were down to 10 men after 85 minutes.
Clarke completed a move to Ipswich, costing an initial £15 million with an additional £5 million in add-ons.
Leeds United had shown interest in Clarke and a potential return seemed possible.
It was clear that Leeds would need to pay a total of £20 million to secure Clarke, who was seen as an ideal replacement for Crysencio Summerville.
However, Clarke ultimately chose Ipswich and a spot in the Premier League.
According to the Sunderland Echo, Leeds did not sign the winger simply because they could not afford the required £15 million plus £5 million in add-ons to acquire Clarke from Sunderland.
Leeds are now well-stocked in attacking positions without Clarke.
Despite the departures of Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter, Jaidon Anthony, and others, Leeds have bolstered their squad.
New additions like Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon, along with Brenden Aaronson’s return, have strengthened the team after the recent sale of Rutter to Brighton.
The concern remains that if Ramazani and Solomon struggle at Leeds, fans might question the decision not to spend a bit more to meet Sunderland’s demands for Clarke, suggesting it could have been a worthwhile investment.
