Sunderland Could Sign Dream Jack Clarke Replacement

Sunderland’s season ended last week as they were knocked out of the play-offs in the semi-finals against Luton Town and as a result, they could now spend this summer trying to keep hold of their best players.

Crystal Palace and Brentford are both reportedly keeping tabs on forward Jack Clarke after the Englishman’s impressive campaign in the Championship.

The 22-year-old scored nine goals and provided 11 assists in 45 games from out wide in the second tier of English football and the club could be looking for his heir in the transfer market if a move to the Premier League arises.

Who could replace Jack Clarke at Sunderland?

It was recently reported that the Black Cats are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign CD Universidad Catolica winger Alexander Aravena this summer and he could be the dream heir to Clarke next season.

AZ Alkmaar and Granada are said to be providing competition in the race for his signature as Tony Mowbray eyes up a possible swoop.

Whilst it is difficult to predict how a player will adapt after coming over from Chile, his former teammate Marcelino Nunez made the switch to the Championship last summer and enjoyed a strong season with Norwich.

The 23-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.90 – a score that would have placed him ninth in Sunderland’s squad – and chipped in with three goals and two assists from central midfield.

This suggests that it is possible for a player to instantly adapt to English football after moving from South America – and CD Universidad Catolica in particular. Therefore, Aravena could make an instant impact at the Stadium of Light.

The 20-year-old whiz, who can play on the right or the left flank, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 in the Primera Division in 2023, scoring seven goals and creating 13 chances in 13 appearances.

Having also completed 1.2 dribbles per game, it outlines the youngster as an exciting prospect who can make meaningful contributions to matches on a regular basis in spite of his young age.

This comes after he plundered 11 goals and three assists in 24 starts in the league for Catolica in the 2022 campaign, which shows that his current form is not a flash in the pan.

Aravena, whose intelligence was once hailed as “magnificent” by press officer Salvatore Gandhi, is two years younger than Clarke but is already displaying similar qualities by delivering goals and assists at first-team level.

The Sunderland forward, who averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 in the Championship in 2022/23, could be on his way out of Wearside this summer but Mowbray signing the Chilean prospect as his heir could be a shrewd piece of business for the club.

His form for Catolica over the last 18 months shows that he has the quality to be a difference-maker in the final third, like the Englishman, and Nunez’s seamless adaption to life at Norwich indicates that it is possible for Aravena to hit the ground running.