Having narrowly missed out on Champions League football, Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers is expected to make quite a few signings this transfer window and one name now doing the rounds is that of Burnley star, James Tarkowski.
A story from Daily Mail reveals that The Foxes, who wanted James Tarkowski last summer as well, are set to make a move for the Burnley man in the coming days.
The Clarets are expected to demand a whopping £50m for this deal but should Leicester make this move?
James Tarkowski And His Experience
Born in Manchester, the 27-year-old started his senior career with Oldham Athletic and spent time with Brentford before moving to Turf Moor back in 2016.
He had a hand in Burnley winning their third second-tier title in 2016 and has since been a regular in the first team.
James Tarkowski started every game for Sean Dyche’s side this season, putting in some impressive numbers to help Burnley establish one of the most stringent backlines in the top-flight.
He is yet to cement a place in the first team under Gareth Southgate for the English national side but at 27, Tarkowski is at the peak of his abilities and could be a huge coup for any side.
A strong and athletic defender who rarely loses an aerial duel, Tarkowski’s concentration and ability to lead the backline has made Burnley one of the most frustrating teams to play against in the Premier League.
Surely, at his age, the lure of European football might be enough for the Foxes to land him this summer.
Right Man For Leicester?
James Tarkowski will not receive the same amount of help from his midfielders at King Power, as he did at Turf Moor.
Burnley play a compact style, reducing the pressure on the backline but at Leicester, he may be a bit more exposed and could face a different challenge.
Tarkowski also has to fend off competition from the likes of Jonny Evans, Wes Morgan, Ryan Bennett and Filip Benkovic, who is back from his loan. Alongside a calm and composed Caglar Soyuncu, the Burnley man could make The Foxes one of the best defences in the league, a promise Rodgers’ side have already shown this season.
Both Morgan and Evans are nearing the end of their careers and Tarkowski could be a replacement for years to come.
Though Burnley are settled in the Premier League, the lure of playing in the Europa League along with the chance to improve on his wage could be enough for Leicester City to get this deal done.
Tarkowski has 123 Premier League appearances in his career and has loads of experience which justifies his price tag of £50m, in today’s day and age.
He is certainly an upgrade on the options at Rodgers’ disposal and this is a deal that the Foxes cannot afford to miss out on this summer. But Burnley have no real need to sell so this is a deal that can drag on for the length of the transfer window, before reaching its conclusion.
