It seems that Sunderland are keen to bring Jack Clarke back to the club from Tottenham this summer, and on a longer term basis.

Clarke spent the second-half of last season on loan at the Stadium of Light, and helped the Black Cats win promotion back to the Championship via the League One play-offs.

According to the latest update from The Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope, Sunderland are now in talks with Tottenham about re-siging the winger, with negotiations focused on a permanent deal.

Given the current circumstances that involved find themselves in, it is hard not to feel as though a permanent move back to the North East, would be best for all concerned.

During his temporary spell with Sunderland last season, Clarke made 20 appearances for the Black Cats, a considerable turnaround in his individual fortunes since making his move to Spurs.

Having joined Tottenham from Leeds in the summer of 2019, Clarke has so far managed just three senior appearances for the Premier League side.

Meanwhile, three loan spells with Leeds, QPR and Stoke yielded a total of just 24 appearances in all competitions for Clarke.

As a result, it seems that unlike with other sides, the winger can at least be confident of getting the first-team opportunities he needs to further his career at Sunderland, unlike with other clubs.

Indeed, with the strengthening that Tottenham have done in this window as well, it is hard to imagine Clarke being able to force his way into Antonio Conte's side in the coming campaign.

With that in mind, it does seem as though Spurs may need to move the winger in order to get a return on their investment from a financial perspective, given they look unlikely to get that sort of repayment on the pitch.

Given Clarke is now into the final year of his contract with the North London club, this could also be their last chance to receive such a fee for him, so a sale this summer certainly appears to make sense for the club from the capital.

From a Sunderland point of view, Clarke's return to the Stadium of Light would no doubt be a popular move, given the part he played in the club's promotion back to the Championship last season.

Indeed, the winger's assist for Patrick Roberts to seal victory in the play-off semi final win over Sheffield Wednesday in last season's League One play-off semi final was a reminder of the quality and impact he could make for the club.

At 21-years-old, a permanent deal would give Sunderland the chance to benefit from that talent, for many years to come.

Taking all that into consideration, it could certainly be argued that one way or another, reaching an agreement to sanction a permanent move to Sunderland for Clarke, is something that could well make sense, for everyone involved with such a deal.