Sheffield United promotion winner wanted by Sheffield Wednesday’s Championship rivals

Stoke City are ready to move for Ciaran Clark following his loan spell at Sheffield United last season. The defender is currently a free agent after his departure from Newcastle United at the end of last term.

The Republic of Ireland international has been carefully weighing up his next move over the past couple of months. His contract at St. James’ Park expired at the end of June and the Toon Army decided not to extend his stay.

According to reporter Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Stoke are now keen to lure him to the Bet365 Stadium to bolster their defensive department. The Potters are currently managed by Alex Neil and signed former Blade Enda Stevens back in July.

Sheffield United swooped to land Clark last summer to add more competition and depth to their ranks. The 33-year-old, who has made 34 caps for his country, went on to make 11 appearances for Paul Heckingbottom’s side in all competitions.

He chipped in with two goals and was part of the Blades side who won promotion to the Premier League alongside Burnley and Luton Town in the last campaign. However, the South Yorkshire outfit decided against snapping him up on a permanent basis and explored other transfer options.

Clark is a vastly experienced player who has played 299 games in all competitions to date. He started his career at Aston Villa and broke into their first-team as a youngster.

Newcastle then lured him to the North East in 2016 and he spent six seasons there, playing 129 matches and finding the net on 11 occasions from the past. He is now considering his next move in the game and has emerged on the radar of Stoke following the end of the transfer window. They lost 2-0 at home to Preston North End last time out.