Town have confirmed the permanent signing of Arsenal defender Harry Clarke, as revealed by TWTD earlier this afternoon, the one-time Blues academy schoolboy’s season-long loan spell at Championship Stoke City having been cut short.

The Blues are understood to have paid a fee of around £1 million for the 21-year-old, who has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the club having an option for a further season.

“It’s been a long couple of days but what a feeling to be back,” Clarke told the club website. “I’m home and it feels good. The style of play is something I really like and I want to be a part of it.

“The conversations with the manager have been great and he solidified my decision to come back. I can’t wait to step out of the tunnel at Portman Road, it will be an amazing feeling.”

Manager Kieran McKenna added: “Harry brings a lot of the qualities that we want in the team now and for the future.

“I think he’s a really good fit for where we want to go. Of course, he has links and history with the club and the area which is a bonus as well.

“He’s coming in fit and he’s been playing. We want him to be involved in the immediate future.

“We’ve brought four really good players in the building now which gives us good depth and numbers in all the positions we want.”

Clarke’s grandfather, Terry, a player with Town from 1950 to 1956 under Scott Duncan and Sir Alf Ramsey’s management without making a senior appearance, was born in 1934 and in tribute the Blues' new signing has opted to wear the number 34 shirt.

Twice capped by England at U17 level, Clarke left Town for the Gunners' youth set-up aged 14 in August 2015 having previously been the scorer of the U14s’ Barcelona-esque goal which went viral.

Born in Ipswich, Clarke was with Brantham Athletic prior to joining Town’s academy. At the time he was a forward but now operates as either a centre-half or right-back.

In 2020 he joined Oldham Athletic on loan for the campaign, then spent the first half of the following season in Scotland with Ross County before subsequently joining Hibs in the January.

Last summer he moved to Stoke in the Championship where he made 10 starts and 10 sub appearances, scoring twice.

In addition to grandfather Terry being on the Blues' books, his older brother George was with the Town academy in the 2013/14 campaign and currently plays for Felixstowe & Walton.

Clarke appears to be viewed as someone to vie with Janoi Donacien for his role on the right-side of the defence.

Photo: ITFC

Linkboy13 added 12:28 - Jan 20 In my opinion we've always had the strongest squad in this league and now it's streets ahead of any squad in this league but that doesn't guarantee success. Last Saturday we had 29,000 in the ground which should have motivated the players on the pitch they played okay but okay is not enough need to see far more passion, it would not have been acceptable in a local Derby against Norwich. McKenna is obviously not happy with the squad other wise he would not have brought more players into the squad. Im going to Oxford tomorrow and expect a more determined effort from the team.

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RobsonWark added 17:26 - Jan 20 Harry could well be our best signing of the season. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the team asap.
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