Ipswich Town has signed forward Jack Clarke from Sunderland for an initial fee of £15m, plus £5m in potential add-ons.
Why it matters: Clarke was one of the Championship's most exciting players last season, making 40 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 15 goals and picking up 4 assists.
Clarke's journey:
Clarke climbed through Leeds United's youth ranks, making 25 first-team appearances, scoring 2 goals.
A move to Tottenham in 2019 led to loan spells at QPR and Stoke before finding his footing at Sunderland, where he eventually signed permanently.
Clarke has scored 27 goals in 94 appearances for Sunderland since his move from Tottenham.
2023/24 season stats:
Shooting: 70 shots in 40 matches (47 on target), 67.14% accuracy, 1 goal per 4.67 shots, 1.80 shots per 90 minutes
Passing: 38.20 passes per game, 77.07% completion rate, 2.42 key passes per game, 0.22 xA per 90 minutes (above 85% of Championship players)
Goal involvement: 19 total goals + assists, 0.49 per 90 minutes
Dribbling: 244 attempts (6.27 per game), 3.55 successful dribbles per game (99th percentile in Championship)
Zoom in: Clarke's playing style is characterised by strong ball-carrying ability and versatile creative skills. He excels at tight-knit passes and crossing, and with quality ball striking he’s always a goal-threat.
The 23-year-old winger is set to become Town's #1 option in the left attacking midfielder role and bolsters an attacking unit that already includes Omari Hutchinson, Connor Chaplin, Sam Szmodics, and Nathan Broadhead.
What's next: Having established himself as an elite attacking talent in the Championship, Clarke joins Ipswich feeling better prepared for top-flight football than during his previous Premier League stint with Tottenham in 2019.
