Clarke Set to Join Blades On Loan Wednesday, 29th Jan 2025 10:26 Sheffield United are set to beat their Steel City rivals Sheffield Wednesday to the loan signature of Blues right-back Harry Clarke.
The 23-year-old was the subject of offers from both Sheffield clubs with the Blades winning the race. Clarke is set to undergo a medical at Bramall Lane today and complete the formalities on a loan for the rest of the season.
The Owls and Blades had been among a number of Championship clubs keen on Clarke with Wednesday’s interest becoming public earlier in the window.
Clarke has looked less likely to get regular football with Town following the Blues’ signing of Ben Godfrey on loan from Atalanta and manager Kieran McKenna confirmed earlier in the month that a loan could be on the cards.
“There's a possibility that Harry Clarke will go out on loan, a possibility at the moment,” McKenna said. “Me and Harry have had those conversations. He's an important player for us, a very good player.
“He had a big surgery [on both achilles tendons] and played through some injury at the back end of last season. He had big surgery in the summer, so he missed a few months of football.
“He has had some minutes now in the Premier League and some exposure but for his age as a young defender it's important to be getting minutes regularly for his progression and for his role at the club.
“So, if everything is in a good place in the squad over the next week or two from an availability point of view, there's a chance that Harry will go out on loan to get some regular playing time to keep pushing with his development.“
Clarke, who rejoined his boyhood club from Arsenal in January 2022, has made eight appearances for Town this season, four starts and four games from the bench.
Photo: Matchday Images
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jayceee added 10:36 - Jan 29
Good luck Harry. We know you'll be back in blue one day! |  | |
Uhlenbeek added 10:45 - Jan 29
Good move for him, at 23 its vital he is playing regularly. Still a big room for improvement, hopefully it'll help him make that next step into a Prem player. Best of luck Harry! |  | |
AbujaBlue added 10:52 - Jan 29
Just checked the Wednesday forums and they are convinced Chris Wilder is obsessed with them after pulling off this little 'steel'. United are in a strong position but I hope this translates to game time for Harry |  | |
SamWhiteUK added 10:53 - Jan 29
Seems a shame to "lose" him when he was such a big member of the team for the last couple of highly successful seasons, but it's easy to forget that he's only 23 and very early in his career. Needs to be playing, and plenty of years ahead of him to progress. Best of luck |  | |
Broadbent23 added 11:03 - Jan 29
Good luck Harry. We will miss your fist pump. See you next season. |  | |
muccletonjoe added 11:04 - Jan 29
I agree with KM , he is a very good player, and if we get relegated this season , we will all be thankful he has had this loan. |  | |
PortmanTerrorist added 11:09 - Jan 29
Agree with other comments, but just think the way Harry plays he needs to be in a front foot team which we have been for past 2 years....whereas this Season we are inevitably mostly on the back foot and someone like Axel comes into his own. Shame as I do not see us getting relegated, but we will need forward momentum from RB next season if the worst happens and have no one else at the Club who provides that. Good luck Harry and don't stay away too long regardless ! |  | |
The_Prof added 11:09 - Jan 29
Harry is the player (along with Wolfenden) who gets the most unwarranted flack from the online mob, mostly from 'fans' with no apparent Suffolk heritage I've noticed, though most of them have got profiles clutching a bottle of Stella. Coincidence? No idea, but it's ill-informed at best. Last season in particular the way we were set up often left HC exposed and out of position, but that was our chosen plan, and obviously it worked. Both HC and LW are decent players who clearly love the club and give total commitment on the pitch. Because both are defenders and someone has to be blamed for every goal conceded, they have been the target of the mob, but, as I've pointed out many times, we still conceded goals when we could perm any four from Mills, Burley, Hunter, Beattie, Butcher and Osman as our defence, and nobody could ever have called them out for stealing a living? Personally I think both of them add a lot to the team on match-days (and probably in training) and yes, there are things they could do better, but the same could be said of all of our current defenders. I get mystified by why they're singled out, other than possible some weird jealousy? |  | |
SmithersJones added 11:11 - Jan 29
The old Sheffield Utd fanzine The Flashing Blade used to run an occasional piece called "They Refused to Play for Wednesday", based on a feature in the Wednesday programme called "They Used to Play for Wednesday". Time to bring it back! |  | |
FBI added 11:27 - Jan 29
@The_Prof What on earth are you on about? Have a lie down, it'll wear off in a few hours. |  | |
Dozzells_Bobblehat added 11:28 - Jan 29
Prof , I agree . We play/played a system in which Leif is basically a wing back in a back four. When he is caught out of position both centre backs and HC would all move across. On occasion the opposition would see this and play a ball out to the left wing and Clarke would get stick from people just seeing the gap on his side . That said I think this is a good move at this point. I also like Wolf and wouldn't be letting him go . |  | |
tractorboybig added 12:35 - Jan 29
davis is the man who needs replacing poorest left back in premier league |  | |
Leejames99 added 13:01 - Jan 29
I think Woolfeden and Clarke would prefer to be playing than warming bench and hame time will keep Clarke sharp, he is still a Town player and be cool for him to get 2 promotion medals, although I am kind of surprised as if they go up and we go down Harry would of helped them but that's football. Think Woolfeden will stay now for sure. I agree re Leif Davis, he is a great crosser of ball usually but this season as wingback he pushes forward too much and we have an abundance of left wingers who can cross the ball, Townsend looked good when he came in, so much so I'd not be surprised to see Davis dropped. I feel we need to be ready to shut shop and be defense heavy but fast attack with Enciso as the link between midfield and forwards. It's tough because Broadhead deserves to be in team but I think Hutchinson and Phillogene start with Delap, if we have Phillips and Cajuste with Enciso in middle and back 4 of Tunazabe Greaves, O'Shea and Townsend that's pretty defence heavy but if we play 3 - 4 - 3 then I guess Godfery and Davis will be wing backs with Enciso and Phillips. Tough call now but bench will be really strong and we still hopefully have some more signings to come in. COYB |  | |
planetblue_2011 added 13:03 - Jan 29
I am a town fan born & bread. I do follow sheff weds, could say they are my second team. So Harry don’t be a blunt be an owl. Go to Wednesday best place to get game time. |  | |
planetblue_2011 added 13:03 - Jan 29
I am a town fan born & bread. I do follow sheff weds, could say they are my second team. So Harry don’t be a blunt be an owl. Go to Wednesday best place to get game time. |  | |
Pettabelieveit added 13:16 - Jan 29
Same as AAH - Wouldn’t get in any other PL match day squad. I’m born and bred in Ipswich and love to see locals do well but would take a better player > place of birth every day of the week. |  | |
Gforce added 13:20 - Jan 29
Again it shows just how far we've come in a short space of time,when clubs the size of Sheffield Wednesday and United are after our players on loan,astonishing really. Anyway all the best Harry, hope you can achieve 3 promotions in a row,now that would be some achievement!! |  | |
TedTurnip added 13:46 - Jan 29
I hope he returns, but I just can't see it now |  | |
Linkboy13 added 15:46 - Jan 29
Being local to me and knowing his family well i would luv to see Harry do well but for me he's never been convincing be it in the championship or Premier league. His positional sense for a full back is not good and in my opinion he looks more like a centre back. Hope he gets regular game time in the championship and comes back a better player. |  | |
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