Champions League giants launch shock £15million transfer bid for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke

ITALIAN giants Lazio have entered the race for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke and made a fresh £15 million bid last night.

Sunderland knocked back a similar bid from West Ham last week and are determined to keep hold of the former Leeds junior who joined Spurs in a £10million deal five years ago before his ‘undisclosed’ move to the North East.

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Lazio are pushing to sign Jack Clarke from Sunderland[/caption]

Clarke, 23, has attracted interest throughout his second full season at the Stadium of Light from West Ham, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Brentford and last summer Sunderland turned down four bids from Burnley.

Spurs have a 25 per cent sell-on clause which could affect Sunderland’s valuation of one of their crown jewels but the prospect of Champions League football with Lazio, who are scheduled to meet Bayern Munich in the round of 16 next month, is bound to interest Clarke.

The York-born winger, who has scored 13 goals in 29 Championship games this season, has been in talks over a contract extension since the summer but the Wearside club have so far failed to secure his signature.

Last week sporting director Kristjaan Speakman insisted Clarke, outstanding in yesterday’s 3-1 win over Stoke, would not be sold in this transfer window.

He is currently concentrating on bringing in four players before Wednesday’s deadline including Manchester United forward Amad Diallo, who was such a huge hit on Wearside last season.

Speakman said: “I get the news about selling players but our ambition is to retain our best players, develop them, go higher in the league.

“I get the nervousness around selling players but there are players we all love and our ambition is to retain them and keep developing.”

Sunderland midfielder Alex Pritchard is expected to leave the club this month.

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The 30-year-old refused to play for the Black Cats against Stoke yesterday and instead demanded a move away.

An official statement from the club read: “On Friday morning, Alex Pritchard informed the club that he was no longer available for selection and he subsequently withdrew from today’s match day squad.

“The midfielder also expressed his desire to leave SAFC with immediate effect. The club will be making no further comment at this moment in time.”