According to sources, Burnley, Wolves, Stoke, and Crystal Palace are interested in the defender.
This post is a part of the “Terrace Talk” series from Football League World, whereby our FLW Fan Pundits share their personal insights on the newest breaking news, teams, players, managers, possible signings, and more.
Defender Jake Clarke-Salter of Queens Park Rangers has drawn interest from a few Premier League teams and may be moved in the summer transfer window for a respectable sum.
The Evening Standard has reported that if the Rs decide to allow the 26-year-old defender go, the overall cost of the transfer may go to as much as £10 million.
They said that clubs interested in signing Clarke-Salter include Stoke City. The Sun said that Burnley, Crystal Palace, and Wolves were the three premier league teams that were also considering him.
According to earlier allegations from The Telegraph’s John Percy, the Rs had requested a sum more in line with £5-7 million.
The London-based team will look to get top dollar for Clarke-Salter, who is rumored to have a “loose agreement” with the club that they would be open to Premier League offers, in order to allow the former Chelsea academy graduate to advance his career further. Clarke-Salter is said to have rejected an approach from Michael Beale’s Rangers last summer, according to the Standard.
Louis Moir, a QPR fan commentator, was questioned by Football League World about his thoughts on the clubs that Clarke-Salter had been linked to and the rumored amount the club was asking for him.
QPR fan opinion on Clarke-Salter valuation
The QPR supporter thinks the club should accept the rumored offer of £5-7 million for the 26-year-old, as it is the appropriate amount, and they can use the money to reinvest in the team.
“It’s nice to know that under the new CEO, moving forwards, that we’re going to be valuing our players at the level that they are worth,” said Moir.
“Years have gone by when we have sold players for way too cheap, and, unfortunately, I don’t think this is going to be the last one of our players to be linked with a move away.
“Clarke-Salter has been immense. He’s managed to stay fit for a while now, which is massive.
“For me, I think he is a Premier League-level centre-back. Obviously, he’s had his injury problems over the years, but we have seen now that he is a top player.
“I think we have to learn from past mistakes when we haven’t sold players at the right time. Look at clubs like Brentford that have moved on. They buy players for cheap money, then sell them on, and then progress; that’s what we have to do.
“I think £5-7 million is probably a fair price. Like I said, it’s nice to see that it looks like we’ll be valuing players at the right price nowadays.
“I can’t see him going to Stoke – that would be a bit of a weird move. I do think a Premier League club will come in for him, or one that will come down and fight to go back up.
“I would be surprised if he went to Stoke. But we’re going to have to sell these players at the right time, and if an offer like that comes in you can’t say no.
“The one thing that gives me optimism is probably the fact that we’ve got a new CEO and manager, who I feel, moving forwards, are going to get the recruitment spot on.
“I have full faith in us to replace these good players with players that are as good, if not better.
“It will be sad to see him go, but we have to move on. Players come and go, and we need the money to reinvest into the squad.”
Stoke City would feel like a sideways move for Clarke-Salter
The level at which the present Stoke and QPR teams are playing is reflected in the 2023–24 Championship standings, which is nearly identical.
| Championship standings 2023/24 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 17 | Stoke City | 46 | -11 | 56 |
| 18 | QPR | 46 | -11 | 56 |
| 19 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | -14 | 53 |
| 20 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | -24 | 53 |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | -11 | 51 |
| 22 | Birmingham City (R) | 46 | -15 | 50 |
| 23 | Huddersfield Town (R) | 46 | -29 | 45 |
| 24 | Rotherham United (R) | 46 | -52 | 27 |
Spending power and the potential to climb the table more quickly: the Potters have more of this power than the Rs. However, despite their enormous money, Stoke hasn’t demonstrated in a long time that they are capable of being among the best teams in the Championship.
Regarding the central defender’s current squad, the same may be said. But given the team he has to work with and what their manager accomplished this season, there’s a good chance they may advance farther in the second division—or at the very least, there should be more faith in him than in Steven Schumacher.
It is completely acceptable for Clarke-Salter to seek relocating if that is his desire. On the other hand, sticking with Marti Cifuentes and seeing where the road leads seems like a better option than joining Stoke.
