2016–17 season: Loan to Bristol Rovers

On 31 August 2016, Clarke-Salter and teammate Charlie Colkett joined League One club Bristol Rovers on a season-long loan.^[11] Unlike Colkett, Clarke-Salter did not join up with Rovers immediately, but remained at Chelsea while recovering from an injury sustained on international duty.^[12]

Clarke-Salter made his debut on 28 September 2016, starting in a 1–0 defeat away to Sheffield United.^[13] On his second appearance, on 18 October, he cut the ball back to provide the assist for the second goal of Matt Taylor's hat-trick as Rovers came back from 3–1 down to draw 3–3 with Milton Keynes Dons.^[14] Four days later he scored his first goal for Rovers with an 87th-minute header to complete a 2–0 win over Oldham Athletic.^[15] Clarke-Salter dislocated his elbow and broke a bone in his forearm during the 5–1 loss to Charlton Athletic in November and was out for nearly four months.^[16] He made his return as an 89th-minute substitute against Southend United in March 2017,^[17] but did not start a match until 11 April, in a 1–0 victory over AFC Wimbledon, and finished the season with just 13 appearances.^[18][19]

2017–18 season: Return to Chelsea and loan to Sunderland

Following a loan spell at Notts county, Clarke-Salter returned to Chelsea and signed a new four-year deal in July 2017.^[20] He was given the number 35 jersey and made his first appearance of the 2017–18 season during Chelsea's 5–1 EFL Cup victory over Nottingham Forest.^[21]

On 8 January 2018, Clarke-Salter joined Championship club Sunderland on loan for the remainder of the campaign.^[22] Just under a week later, he made his debut during Sunderland's 4–0 away defeat against Cardiff City, playing the full 90 minutes.^[23] On 24 February 2018, Clarke-Salter was shown a red card for what BBC Sport's reporter saw as a "nasty late challenge" on Middlesbrough's Adama Traoré in a match that ended as a 3–3 draw.^[24] In his first game back from suspension, Clarke-Salter was dismissed again after receiving a second yellow card in a 2–0 defeat against Preston North End.^[25] He finished the loan spell with nine appearances.^[26]

2018–19 season: Loan to Vitesse

On 2 July 2018, Clarke-Salter agreed to join Dutch side Vitesse on a season-long loan.^[27]

2019–20 season: Loan to Birmingham City

Clarke-Salter signed for Championship club Birmingham City on 24 July 2019 on loan for the season.^[28] He made his debut on 6 August in the EFL Cup first round visit to Portsmouth. Manager Pep Clotet fielded an inexperienced team, and Clarke-Salter played the whole of the 3–0 defeat.^[29] He did not play in the Championship until 1 October, taking the place of the injured Marc Roberts in the starting eleven for the 1–0 defeat away to Wigan Athletic. According to the manager, "he played with a lot of maturity, he was very focused, he dealt very well with the physicality of the game and worked very well with Harlee [Dean] as well. He also covered the line very well. I think on the ball he was very good as well so it was a very positive game for him."^[30] His performance was similarly positive in his next appearance a month later, when he replaced the suspended Dean for a 1–0 defeat at home to Fulham.^[31] He scored his first goal for Birmingham in a 1–1 draw with Millwall on 30 November.^[32]

2020–21 season: Loan return to Birmingham City

On 16 October 2020, Clarke-Salter returned to Birmingham City on loan for the remainder of the season.^[33] A calf injury kept him out until after the international break, and he made his debut on 24 November away to Luton Town as one of three centre-backs alongside Dean and Roberts.^[34][35] He was a regular in the matchday squad for the next three months, made nine starts, mainly as cover for injured or suspended players, and one substitute appearance.^[19][36] Apart from one poor game away to Cardiff City,^[37] he performed adequately, showing technical competence that his fellow defenders did not,^[38] but the Birmingham Mail suggested that overall he had wasted his season by spending it on Birmingham's bench.^[39]

2021-22 season: Loan to Coventry City

On 13 August 2021, Clarke-Salter joined Championship club Coventry City on a loan deal until the end of the season. Clarke-Salter was a mainstay in the Coventry team in a largely successful loan spell, making 29 appearances for the Sky Blues, with injury hampering him from making more. On June 10, 2022, Chelsea announced he was leaving the club.^[40]