Reports in Ireland claim Town have made a bid for Stoke captain Clive Clarke. The 25-year-old Irish international has a year left on his contract at the Britannia Stadium and has been linked with a number of Championship clubs this summer.

Clarke, 6ft 1in tall, can play in the left-back position Joe Royle is so keen to fill and also at centre-half or in a variety of midfield roles. He won the first of two senior Irish caps in a 3-0 defeat to Nigeria last year, having won nine at U21 level.

Considered an old head on young shoulders, Clarke was an apprentice with the Potters and has been with the club for nine years, making 262 appearances and scoring nine goals.

The Wicklow-born player has interested Sunderland, Burnley and Sheffield United during the close season and is thought to be keen to make a move away from the Potteries.

With a year still left on his contract, Stoke will definitely want a fee for their skipper who spent much of last season playing in central midfield. Town were thought unlikely to make any more cash moves this summer having captured Swindon striker Sam Parkin for £450,000.

However, a fee in the low hundreds of thousands may not be beyond the Town coffers, with just under £1 million having been raised from the sale of Kelvin Davis to Sunderland, once the MK Dons' 22.5% sell-on was paid out.

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