Burnley are determined to hold onto their in-demand defender James Tarkowski, amid reported interest from Liverpool.
The Sun state that struggling Burnley have slapped a staggering £50million price tag on their English centre-back, which they hope swats away Premier League leaders Liverpool, who are in desperate need of a defender following their injury crisis.
Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren are all on the sidelines, leaving Virgil van Dijk as the only fit centre-back. Midfielder Fabinho filled in during the FA Cup defeat to Wolves, but Jurgen Klopp is understandably eager for a player more naturally suited to the position, and that man could well be Tarkowski.
The 26-year-old made the switch to Burnley from Brentford in early 2016, playing a small part in the club’s promotion up to the Premier League. He went on to make 19 league appearances the following season as the Clarets preserved their top-flight status, before forming a concrete partnership with Ben Mee last term as the club enjoyed a stellar season, exceeding all expectations in a stunning 7th-place finish.
Burnley have struggled to replicate that form so far this campaign, but Tarkowski’s stock remains high, while only strikers Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes (4) have more top-flight goals in 2018/19 than the defender (3), who has been capped twice by England.
However, it’s unlikely that Liverpool would shell out £50m for his services, although while a loan move could be an outside option, given Burnley’s precarious position in the table boss Sean Dyche would simply not let this happen.
Meanwhile, this multiple title winning Chelsea defender could be a much cheaper alternative for the Reds.
