BURNLEY, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: James Tarkowski of Burnley looks on following the Premier League match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor on October 31, 2020 in Burnley, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
According to The Star, West Ham are still interested in Burnley defender James Tarkowski. The Hammers had chased the defender through the summer but Burnley stood resilient in their stance to not sell. While they ended up signing Craig Dawson on loan, a January move for Tarkowski could be on the cards.
The 27-year-old English centre-back started his youth career at Blackburn Rovers in 1999 but moved to Oldham after 10 years, with a spell at Maine Road FC in between.
Promoted to the senior side in 2011, he went on to play 89 games for them before moving to Brentford in 2014. In the two seasons he spent there, he made 74 appearances, scored 4 goals and provided 5 assists (source – Transfermarkt).
Ever since he joined Burnley, he has been one of their best players. He has been rock-solid at the back, often providing the last line of defence. So far, he has made 18 appearances for the Clarets, scoring 5 and assisting 3. Tarkowski chose to represent England despite having the choice to play for Poland. He has two appearances for the Three Lions so far.
While West Ham have looked decent compared to recent seasons, familiar issues related to bad defending have surfaced again. They have already lost 3 of their 7 games but they can point to the fact that two of those were narrow losses against Liverpool and Arsenal.
Conceding 9 goals in 7 games may look okay for a club like West Ham but they do need to work on that issue. Their current central defenders leave a lot to be desired as they are capable of the extraordinary one week and shambolic the next.
James Tarkowski has been a rock in the last couple of seasons as Burnley have built a reputation of being one of the most robust teams to break down in the league. How West Ham wish they could say the same about themselves.
The no-nonsense defender may not be the most high-profile player but he is one who does his job to perfection. The Hammers need someone exactly like that. At 27, he is entering his peak years and that could benefit a team like West Ham, who are leaking goals. They should try to prise him away at the earliest, which is in January.
