An update has emerged on Sunderland and their interest in Sean Clare in the summer transfer window...

What's the talk?

According to Football League World, the Black Cats are one of a number of Championship teams eyeing up a swoop for the right-back.

The report claims that Huddersfield and Norwich are also keen on the 25-year-old after being impressed by his performances last season.

He has one year left on his current contract with the League One club, although it is stated that Charlton want to pin him down to a fresh contract.

Lynden Gooch upgrade

Kristjaan Speakman could land the club an upgrade on Lynden Gooch at right wing-back by securing a deal to sign Clare from the Addicks.

The third-tier outfit may be tempted to cash in on him within the next week if they cannot reach an agreement on fresh terms as they would be running the risk of losing him for nothing next summer.

Sunderland could, therefore, swoop in to sign him on a permanent basis to bolster their options on the right side of their defence.

Gooch has had a solid, if unspectacular, start to the Championship season. He has chipped in with one goal and one assist in five matches but has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.72 - placing him 14th in the squad.

This comes after he averaged a rating of 6.77 in 41 League One outings last term, making 2.0 tackles and interceptions per game as he was directly involved in six goals.

He has struggled with the physical battles in both divisions. Since the start of the the 2021/22 campaign, he has lost the majority of his combined aerial and ground duels.

Clare, meanwhile, could offer an upgrade on the right in terms of his overall performances and his defensive reliability. The £13k-per-week gem averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91 in League One last term and made 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst winning 56% of his battles.

TalkSPORT's Natasha Everitt recently claimed that he "plays out of his skin" every match and his statistics this season back that up as he has taken his game up a level.

In five third tier outings, he has averaged a rating of 7.08 and made 4.0 tackles and interceptions per game. Along with that, he has won 58% of his duels and chipped in with one goal.

These statistics suggest that Clare, who is a year younger than Gooch, has the potential to be a huge upgrade on the American on the defensive side of the game. At League One level, he has shown that he can put in a higher standard of performances, whilst making more defending actions at a higher success rate.

It would be up to the Charlton man, however, to make the step up to Championship level and show - at wing-back - that he can maintain those standards whilst contributing in attack.