Signing James Tarkowski will be gamechanger for Everton
Everton are set to win the race to sign Burnley’s veteran centre-back James Tarkowski on a free transfer, according to iNews.
The Toffees have been in the market to sign a defender before the start of the next campaign after narrowly escaping relegation in the 2021-22 season.
Therefore, as per the latest report, Everton are now closing in on signing Tarkowski as a free agent.
The 29-year-old defender, who has also been attracting interest from the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United, has been a priority for Frank Lampard as he looks to freshen up his team’s defensive unit.
Lampard is said to have won the race by promising a platform for Tarkowski to fight his way back into the England squad ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
If you talk to Burnley fans about Tarkowski’s career, most of them will only talk about his leadership.
In the recently concluded Premier League season, the English international played 35 games, scoring one goal and providing two assists. He played 91% of the overall minutes for Burnley in the Premier League.
The 29-year-old has always been consistent under Sean Dyche, enjoying a rating of around seven throughout his Burnley career.
With Yerry Mina having an injury-prone career and Braithwaite inexperienced, an experienced central defender in Tarkowski will be a perfect fit for a team like Everton, especially after they conceded 66 goals in the recently concluded Premier League season.
Another aspect which makes this deal very appealing is the fact that the former Burnley defender will come on a free transfer as his contract at Turf Moor expires this summer.
Tarkowski averaged 1.8 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game in the recently concluded Premier League season which is more than impressive considering Burnley were relegated on the final day.
In other Everton news, the Blues could be forced into a big sale as Alisher Usmanov’s name is mentioned in a transfer report.
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