Southampton registered back-to-back wins on the weekend with a 4-2 win against Sunderland at St Mary’s.
The South Coasters have firmly cemented themselves in the bid for automatic promotion as they moved five points behind Ipswich Town and six from Leeds United, who occupy 2nd place.
Russell Martin‘s side have a game in hand on their promotion rivals but can’t afford to make any more slip-ups as they look to close the gap.
In the background, transfer plans for the summer will already be underway but a lot will depend on whether they can secure promotion.
Sunderland’s talisman Jack Clarke has previously been linked with a move to The Saints and Martin made reference to the 23-year-old speaking post-match.
Russell Martin admirers Jack Clarke
Martin is clearly an admirer of Clarke and it seems the former Swansea City boss is eager to land his signature this summer.
It is reported that Sunderland may demand a fee in the region of £17m for their top scorer, though, that fee may rise if clubs clamour for his services.
Martin spoke about the winger’s quality after the win against the Black Cats. “I feel they have such a talented squad, a very young squad,” the 38-year-old said.
“Jack Clarke makes them a very different proposition. I think he’s one of the best players in the league so when he’s not in the team they’re a different proposition.
“That’s not being disrespectful because I think they’re a really good team and not a one-man team. His numbers are huge and what he does for the team, gets them up the pitch and has that fear factor. I really like them as a team, really really like them.”
Going into such detail about the importance of an opposition player was an interesting play from Martin. It felt like a very well-thought-out message in a bid to convince Clarke of a move to the South Coast club.
Southampton need to gain promotion to sign Jack Clarke
With Premier League suitors likely to be interested in Clarke this summer, Southampton will need to gain promotion in order to have any chance of landing his signature.
The £17m-rated wide player was subjected to interest from West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Brighton in the January transfer window.
Sunderland even rejected two offers from Serie A outfit Lazio, so it’s clear Saints won’t be short of competition.