Sunderland could end up paying £10m for Jack Clarke as they close in on bringing the winger back to the club from Tottenham.

The 21-year-old spent the second half of the previous campaign at the Stadium of Light, making 21 appearances for Alex Neil's side as they won promotion back to the Championship, with Clarke particularly impressing during the run-in and in the play-offs.

Therefore, doing a deal to bring Clarke back to Wearside has always been a priority for the club and it's now thought this is at a very advanced stage.

And, providing more information on the permanent switch, reporter Alasdair Gold revealed that Sunderland could end up paying an eight-figure sum for the former Leeds United man who joined Spurs for a similar fee, although he did stress the initial outlay is 'low'.

"Understand the Jack Clarke fee will be a low initial one but future add-ons could see the deal reach around £10m."

This will continue what has been a productive period for Neil as he looks to strengthen his squad ahead of the Championship opener at the end of the month.

The verdict

Obviously a potential £10m transfer is significant for Sunderland but the reality is likely to be that it will only get near that level if Clarke plays well and Sunderland win promotion - which means it's a price worth paying!

Clearly, the youngster is very talented but he had lost his way in recent years, so it's sensible to trigger payments on what he actually does.

This seems like the perfect move for all parties and it's now down to Clarke to show what he can do consistently at a club he knows well after the successful loan spell.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.