Sources: Sheffield United agree to sign Newcastle United star Ciaran Clark
Sheffield United have agreed to sign Newcastle United defender Ciaran Clark, sources have told Football Insider.
The centre-back, 32, has begun a medical with the Championship club ahead of joining on a season-long loan.
Newcastle have given the green light to Clark leaving with one year left on his contract.
He has been training with the club’s Under-23s with a view to sealing a move.
Clark is likely to have now played the last of his 128 matches for Newcastle.
He will bring an end to a seven-year spell on the books at St James’ Park when his contract expires in June 2023.
The Republic of Ireland international was dropped from the Magpies’ squad for the second half of the 2021-22 Premier League season.
He made 14 appearances across all competitions last term but featured from the bench in the top flight just once after the turn of the year.
Clark’s only experience in the Championship came during the 2016-17 campaign – when he made 34 appearances as Newcastle earned promotion as league winners.
He has amassed almost 300 senior games in a career which has spanned 12 years – the majority of which have come in the top flight.
Newcastle stars Dwight Gayle and Jeff Hendrick are also training with the Under-23s this summer after falling down the pecking order in the wake of the club’s big-money Saudi takeover last year (2021).
Eddie Howe’s side have wasted no time in bringing in centre-back reinforcements, with Sven Botman joining the club last month after Dan Burn signed in January.
The Magpies start their Premier League campaign against promoted Nottingham Forest on 6 August.
Sheffield United missed out on promotion via the playoffs in the 2021-22 season and will vie to return to the top flight at the second time of asking.
In other news, Football Insider updates as Newcastle and Chelsea race to sign Southampton sensation.