Sheffield United are close to clinching a six-month loan deal for Ipswich Town right-back Harry Clarke, with the 23-year-old having a medical at Bramall Lane today, according to Mike McGrath and Danny Hall.
Clarke, who started his career in Ipswich’s junior system before moving to Arsenal, returned to his hometown club in January 2023. He played a key role in Ipswich’s promotion to the Premier League, appearing 35 times in the Championship last season. However, he has had few first-team opportunities this season, making only seven appearances in the top level. Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna had previously stated that a loan move was an option to ensure Clarke had regular playing time.
Sheffield United’s interest grew after their unsuccessful pursuit of Jonjoe Kenny from Hertha Berlin, when the German club refused to sanction the transfer. The Blades faced competition from city rivals Sheffield Wednesday, who had also indicated an interest in Clarke. However, sources say that United have beaten the Owls to the defender’s signature.
Clarke’s acquisition is likely to give vital depth to United’s defence as the club strives for a good end to the season. His versatility, ability to play right-back or right centre-back, and previous Championship experience on a promotion-winning team make him an important asset to the Blades.
Next Sheffield United Signing: Harry Clarke Comparison to Alfie Gilchrist
Alfie Gilchrist
Harry Clarke
As shown in the data graphs above from ScoutingStats, Clarke appears to be an upgrade over Alfie Gilchrist overall, and I believe he is as well. So, perhaps Gilchrist will be more of a bench option in the second part of the season.
Last season, Clarke fared incredibly well in creative and progressive metrics, which Sheffield United have struggled with for the majority of this season despite being in the top three for much of it. However, he is a strong defender both in the air and on the ground.
Breaking Down How Harry Clarke Can Improve the Blades
Clarke averaged seven progressive passes per 90 minutes for Ipswich Town last season, putting him in the 96th percentile among Championship full-backs and wing-backs (better than Gilchrist’s five).
He also averaged almost 2.5 shot-creating actions per 90, placing him in the 87th percentile for this metric (better than Gilchrist’s 1.9). It must be noted that if you are a full-back who takes set-pieces, these figures can typically balloon; however, Clarke does not fall into this category.
He also had a 61% dribbling success rate, which is excellent for a fullback. This put him in the 92nd percentile for this category, higher than Gilchrist’s 40% success rate.
Finally, and most significantly, he can defend, but don’t go to FBref data to prove it; ranking low in tackles per 90 is not a terrible thing for a defender. These metrics are frequently mistranslated because a defender with very low tackling stats may indicate that they are superb positionally and never need to put a foot in.
However, aerial success rate and interceptions are two variables that I often consider. Clarke had a 60% aerial success percentage last season (80th percentile). Meanwhile, his interception totals were relatively modest, ranking significantly below the championship average. Clarke’s numbers from previous season are almost identical to Gilchrist’s numbers from this season in these two areas.
While this could indicate that he lacks a good reading of the game, it could also be a result of coaching instructions; McKenna may have ordered his full-backs to be cautious with jumping passes in order to stay in position and defend the flanks. If you look at Leif Davis’ interceptions, they are likewise quite low, therefore coaching instructions could be the cause.
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