£5m-rated ex-Sunderland transfer 'target' signs for League One club after relegation

Former Sunderland target Jonson Clarke-Harris has signed for recently relegated Rotherham United after being released by League One club Peterborough United earlier this month.

The forward was loosely linked with Sunderland in January 2023, with reports claiming that the Black Cats had sent scouts to watch him. At the time, Posh owner Darragh McAnthony slapped a £5million price tag on the player amid the reports.

However, the 29-year-old striker was released by Peterborough United this summer despite a terrific record in League One. The striker was the division’s top scorer twice in three years between 2021 and 2023 and scored 87 goals in 190 appearances over four years with the club.

Clarke-Harris also netted 13 times in the 2023-24 season as Peterborough's were knocked out of the League One play-off semi-final stage for the second successive season. Clake-Harris, though, has now signed for Rotherham United under Steve Evans. The Millers say the move is subject to ratification from the FA and EFL.

The player had been linked with a number of clubs including Charlton Athletic, Mansfield Town and former club Bristol Rovers after his release from Peterborough United at the end of last season but chose to return to Rotherham United, a club he played for between 2014 and 2018, scoring 10 goals in 79 appearances during his first stint.

It was Evans who signed Clarke-Harris for Rotherham back in 2014  for a club record fee, rumored to be in the region of £350,000, with the pair now linking up once more in League One Clarke-Harris had been on the transfer list under Darren Ferguson, who admitted the club now wanted to go in another direction.

"Of course, at the start of this season, we felt he would be leaving twice, particularly the first window, but stayed and by that time I had made my mind up that I wanted to go in a different direction," Ferguson said. I wish him all the best, I am sure he will get a good move and he deserves it."

Midfielder Jeando Fuchs, 26, goalkeeper Fynn Talley, 21, and 23-year-old defender Vontae Daley-Campbell have also been released by Peterborough United as the League One club prepare for a summer shake-up under Ferguson and McAnthony ahead of 2024-25.