Shock managerial decision could have an impact on Sheffield United transfer target
Jack Clarke is on Sheffield United’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window - and recent events at Ipswich Town could have an impact on his future.
Sheffield United will be keeping tabs on developments at Ipswich Town in the coming days and weeks amid their interest in signing Jack Clarke ahead of this summer’s transfer window.
As revealed by The Star in May, United are poised to revive their interest in the former Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur wide man amid boss Chris Wilder’s plan to recruit players with Championship pedigree this summer.
Clarke played a starring role in Ipswich securing an immediate return to the Premier League in 2025/26, scoring 16 goals and registering one assist to help them clinch the Championship’s second automatic promotion spot ahead of Millwall.
Clarke, who joined the Tractor Boys in August 2024, has established himself as a star performer at Championship level in recent seasons, scoring 41 goals in his last 133 Championship appearances since the start of the 2022/23 season.
In the Premier League, however, Clarke struggled to make his mark in 2024/25, failing to score in 32 appearances as Ipswich were relegated. He will be hoping his previous experience of the top flight will stand him in good stead ahead of next term.
Unlike their last Premier League campaign, though, Ipswich will head into next season without Kieran McKenna at the helm. He stepped down as Ipswich manager earlier this week after four-and-a-half years in charge in order to spend more time with his family.
A flurry of names have been linked with replacing him at Portman Road, but no concentre decisions have yet been made by the Ipswich hierarchy. They will want to make a call as soon as possible amid the fact pre-season will get underway in the coming weeks.
McKenna regularly spoke fondly of Clarke and admitted he has the capacity to make a name for himself in the Premier League.
"I've spoken with Jack,” McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times last October. “He's already shown that he can be a really good player in the Championship. What we want him to be, what we believe he can be, what he wants to be is a really good Premier League player.
"To do that he had to, and he has to, develop from where he was 18 months ago in his all round game - his off the ball work, his defending, his resilience, all those things.
"I spoke to him about this season. Whether he plays 30 starts, 25 starts, or 25 starts, it's probably not going to be the decisive thing in him taking a step towards possibly being a Premier League player again and helping the club take a step towards being a Premier League club again.
"It's about how he works every day, how he can keep improving his game, how he deals with different situations. He's doing all those things. He knows some weeks he'll do it from the start and he knows that some weeks he'll do it from the bench.
"I think he's a much better, more rounded player than the one who arrived and that player was already a good Championship player. It's not like he's got anything to improve at this level. He's just on his journey to becoming the best player that he can be.”
Any plans United have of trying to sign Clarke this summer will centre around a loan deal. The price Ipswich will demand for a permanent exit for the winger will be out of the Blades’ price range this summer.
However, with a new face set to be in the home dugout at Portman Road next term, it could have an impact on Clarke’s future and potentially boost United’s chances of landing him. At the same time, of course, McKenna’s successor may plan for the winger to be a key figure in his plans, meaning the chances of him being extracted from Portman Road could be just as difficult.
Nevertheless, amid their interest in the 25-year-old, United will be a keeping a close eye on developments in Suffolk over the coming weeks to see if they have any impact on Clarke’s future.