Sheffield United have previously been credited with interest in signing Brighton and Hove Albion defender Matt Clarke, according to journalist Alan Nixon. 

What’s the story?

The £21k-a-week earning Clarke has been with the Seagulls since 2019, but has found regular game time with the Premier League side hard to come by in recent seasons.

The 24-year-old spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan with Championship strugglers Derby County, and evidently made a good impression whilst with Wayne Rooney’s side.

Clarke made 44 appearances in total for the Rams, as they narrowly avoided relegation into the third tier of English football on the final day of the campaign.

The defender is contracted with Brighton and Hove Albion until the summer of 2023, although it remains to be seen as to whether he’ll see out the remainder of his contract at the AMEX Stadium.

Nixon claims that Sheffield United could have funds available to sign Clarke this summer, which could move them ahead of Derby County in the race to strike a deal for the defender.

It could be a shrewd move by the Blades

Sheffield United will be hoping the can make a serious push for promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking, whilst under the watchful eye of Slavisa Jokanovic, who was appointed as their new manager over the summer.

The Blades endured a hugely frustrating campaign last term, as they finished bottom of the top-flight standings, whilst struggling for any sort of momentum in last year’s campaign, much to the frustration of the Bramall Lane faithful.

But they’ve got every reason to be confident heading into the new season, with the majority of the first-team squad sticking around so far in the summer transfer window, and with new additions likely in the coming weeks, they could be even stronger than last term.

Jokanovic will be keen strengthen his squad at the earliest of opportunities as well, and players that have shown they can perform to a high standard in the Championship should be top of his priority list.

The 24-year-old averaged 1.4 tackles per game, whilst also averaging 4.3 clearances a game. Clarke has also shown that he’s also comfortable whilst in possession, with the Seagulls defender averaging just over 52 passes per game whilst on loan with Derby County last season.

With Phil Jagielka leaving the club over the summer, additional strength in depth is needed at Sheffield United, and Clarke would certainly provide them with that. If the defender is going to struggle for consistent minutes with Brighton and Hove Albion again this season, then you couldn’t blame Clarke if he was to look at a move elsewhere in search of regular game time.

Sheffield United need players with a point to prove, and Clarke certainly fits that description, and if he can hit the ground running, then he could turn out to be the missing piece in Sheffield United’s promotion jigsaw this season.