With the collapse of the final attempt to negotiate a new deal, the path appears to be clear for West Ham to sign Jack Clarke.

With the collapse of the final attempt to secure him to a new deal, West Ham now has a clear path to sign £20m star Jack Clarke. The club had been actively seeking a new attacker during the January transfer window, with Clarke being one of three names on their shortlist alongside Jota and Ibrahim Osman. Despite their efforts, West Ham only managed to secure the loan signing of central midfielder Kalvin Phillips, leaving them still in need of a left-sided forward. Clarke emerged as the prime target for the Hammers, but any potential move was stalled by Sunderland’s reluctance to sell their key player, especially given their ambitions of reaching the playoffs and potentially gaining promotion to the Premier League. Additionally, Sunderland aimed to make a final effort to extend Clarke’s contract, further complicating West Ham’s pursuit of the talented attacker. However, with the collapse of these negotiations, West Ham now appears to have a clear opportunity to secure Clarke’s signature.