An update has emerged on West Ham target James Tarkowski, regarding Tottenham's interest in his services...
What's the talk?
According to 90min, Tottenham have been looking at West Ham transfer target James Tarkowski as a potential signing this summer as Nuno Santo attempts to freshen up his defence, with Conor Coady and Joachim Anderson also named as targets.
West Ham failed in their efforts to sign Tarkowski last summer and The Telegraph reported last month that the Hammers remain interested in signing him. He has 12 months left on his contract at Turf Moor.
Moyes would love him
West Ham must act swiftly in order to strike a deal with Burnley for Tarkowski. Tottenham joining the race for his signature could be a blow for the Hammers, with more competition for his services potentially dampening their chances of being able to land him this summer. This is why they must move with urgency and make sure that they are able to snap him up before any of their competitors have a chance to.
With 12 months left on his contract at Burnley, West Ham could potentially have room to negotiate a deal with their Premier League rivals. Sean Dyche's side risk losing him for nothing next summer if they refuse to do business now and he decides to play out the final year before leaving as a free agent. Therefore, there could be scope for them to strike an agreement.
Tarkowski could be a superb addition to West Ham's squad and Moyes would love having him at the heart of his defence next term. Former Brentford boss Mark Warburton predicted that Tarkowski would become a top plauer and told his players to look after him.
He is quoted as saying this by The Athletic:
“This lad is going to be exceptional.”
Tarkowski's former academy manager at Oldham, Tony Philliskirk, heaped praise on the defender, lauding his dominance in both boxes.
“He was so dominant in both boxes from set-pieces. He liked to attack the ball. The timing of his jumping needed work but we knew he would naturally grow and get bigger, stronger and better.”
The £50k-per-week beast has been a rock for Burnley in the Premier League for a number of seasons. He has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.02 or higher in each of the past four campaigns, starting at least 31 times every year. Meanwhile, Angelo Ogbonna's score of 6.73 was the highest by any West Ham central defender last term in the top-flight.
This shows that Tarkowski could be a sizeable upgrade on the club's current options and that is why Moyes would love him at the London Stadium.
He would be getting an experienced, proven, performer at this level and a player who still has years left to give at the age of 28, which means that he could be a key player for the club for a long time to come. West Ham need to act quickly before Spurs, or any other club, beat them to the punch.
AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops big transfer update, West Ham fans will be buzzing...