West Ham United insider @ExWHUemployee has recently provided an update on the Irons’ transfer link with Burnley’s James Tarkowski.
According to the latest report from Sky Sports, the Clarets have rejected a third offer from David Moyes’ outfit for the English centre-back.
The bid from the Hammers supposedly totalled £31m with £25m of that fee to be paid upfront, with the previous bid having totalled £30m including £10m in add-ons.
It is also stated in their report that Tarkowski is thought to have a release clause of £50m in his contract with Burnley, however, that only applies if it is an offer from Manchester United, Manchester City or Liverpool.
So, on the latest episode of The West Ham Way Podcast, @ExWHUemployee discussed the latest regarding the transfer link with the 27-year-old defender.
He said: “The Tarkowski deal is stalling because they won’t meet each other’s valuation, but that often happens. So, a bid could come in before the end of the window.
“At the moment, it’s a bit at [a] stalemate, but it’s not completely dead.
“[Sean] Dyche has said he expects him to be there for the year. At this point, I would call him not being a West Ham player, but anything can change very quickly.
“If they’d accept £30m, or maybe £32-33m, I think he would be a West Ham player. As much as he’s said that he doesn’t want to come down south, money talks.”
TIF Thoughts…
So, seemingly a Tarkowski move to the London Stadium is looking unlikely because West Ham and Burnley are too far apart in their valuations of the centre-back.
Will you be disappointed if West Ham do not sign James Tarkowski?
No, he's not that good
Yes, he's a good player
It would seem that the Hammers are going to miss out on a very talented defender as he was the Clarets’ best-performing player last season with a 7.19/10 average rating in the Premier League (per WhoScored).
The same rating for the Irons in the top flight during the last campaign would have made him West Ham’s second-best performer behind Michail Antonio.
So, hopefully, Moyes can find another suitable transfer target for the centre of West Ham’s defence if Tarkowski is unattainable.