Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Matt Clarke is wanted once again in the Championship this summer, this time by Stoke City - according to Stoke-on-Trent Live.

The 25-year-old has spent the last three seasons on temporary deals in the second tier of English football, spending two campaigns with Derby County and in 2021-22 he was at West Bromwich Albion, where he won the club's Player of the Year award.

It is stated in the report that Clarke is expected to be able to leave the Seagulls once again - potentially this time on a permanent basis - as he has struggled to find a way into Graham Potter's plans, having not made a single appearance for the south coast club since his arrival in 2019 from Portsmouth.

 

 

 

 

And Stoke are in the hunt for a left-footed defender to add some balance to their back three - a need which has accelerated thanks to Ben Wilmot's opening day injury against Millwall.

Potters boss Michael O'Neill has already revealed he wants to add at least two more players before the transfer window slams shut on September 1, with those individuals being ones that can immediately come into the starting 11 and make an impact.

The Verdict

Clarke has been a very solid Championship defender for years, and at the age of 25 you'd have to say his best years are still ahead of him.

It just so happens that Brighton have a number of talented defenders such as Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster ahead of him, which will always make it hard to force his way into Potter's plans.

The left-footer has just one year remaining though on his contract at the Amex Stadium, so now may be about the time where the Seagulls consider cashing in on him.

And with Stoke clearly needing a new centre-back who is capable of playing it out from the back on the left-hand side, there's not many more well-rounded players available than Clarke.