Burnley and Brentford are expected to make their interest in the ace known this January as Sunderland set their valuation

Clarke was the subject of intense transfer speculation last summer, with Burnley reportedly turning down an offer in excess of £10 million.

The Clarets want to stay in the Premier League beyond this season, but they are currently 20th in the table after 12 games, with only one win.

The gap to safety is five points, with Vincent Kompany’s side currently on a five-game losing streak in the Premier League.

The Northern Echo reports that the Lancashire club is still hoping to complete a deal to sign the 22-year-old in the winter market.

The Bees have previously expressed interest in signing the winger, but no agreement has been reached.

A move to Thomas Frank’s side is expected to be more appealing to the player due to their more stable Premier League position.

The London club is currently 11th in the table, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and only four points out of a place in Europe.

Any offer, however, is expected to be in excess of £20 million in order to persuade Sunderland to sell midway through the season.

Tony Mowbray’s side is vying for promotion to the Premier League this season, after narrowly missing out on a place in the division last year.

Sunderland finished in the top six in their first season back, but were defeated 3-2 in the play-off semi-finals by Luton Town.

Clarke has performed admirably since being denied a move to the Premier League last summer.

So far in the league, the forward has scored nine goals in 16 appearances.

Sunderland are currently in the top six during the November international break, thanks to a 3-1 win over Birmingham City last Saturday, which moved them up to sixth on goal difference, above seventh and eighth place West Brom and Hull City, with third place Leeds United only five points ahead.

The Wearside club will look to maintain their current form after the international break in order to gain promotion to the Premier League.

Sunderland’s next game is an away trip to Plymouth Argyle on November 25.
Sunderland’s promotion hopes are dependent on keeping Clarke past the January transfer window, or at the very least investing the large transfer fee received in his sale.

So the Championship club must earn more than £20 million in order to properly invest that money back into Mowbray’s squad.

Losing him for anything less would be a real blow to their top six chances.

This is a fair evaluation of the player, who will be a key figure for the team in the second half of the season.

Given Burnley’s own situation, remaining at Sunderland may even be the preferable long-term move for Clarke.