Serie A club sees £14m bid rejected for ex-Leeds United star after Wilfried Gnonto transfer link

Sunderland have reportedly turned down an offer from Lazio for former Leeds United youngster Jack Clarke. Clarke has been one of the stand out performers at Sunderland this season, bagging 13 Championship goals as the Black Cats push for promotion back to the Premier League.

His performances have seen him linked with a number of top flight clubs this month and it is claimed West Ham United, Brentford and Burnley have all shown an interest in taking the 23-year-old. However, according to the Daily Mail, Lazio have seen a bid turned down for Clarke, who started his career with the Whites.

The report claims the bid was worth £14million but it remains to be seen if the Serie A club, who are pushing hard to add a winger this month and have been linked with interest in Leeds' Wilfried Gnonto, will make another move before the February 1 transfer deadline. It has also been suggested that Sunderland are in talks with Clarke's representatives about a contract extension at the Stadium of Light.

Clarke spent nine years at Leeds as a youngster, working his way through the club's academy and into the first-team with a debut coming under the stewardship of Marcelo Bielsa back in 2018. He went on to make 25 appearances in all competitions during his debut season with the Whites, with goals coming against Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

His form at Elland Road brought about a summer move to Tottenham for £10m in 2019, but he struggled for traction in north London, with a series of loan moves proving unsuccessful, too. However, after helping Sunderland out of League One, he joined the Black Cats permanently in 2022 and his career has gone from strength to strength since.

Clarke has made 81 outings as a full-time Sunderland player, with 24 goals coming along the way.