Tarkowski Off Piste!

Perhaps as a result of the 'Newcastle Effect' and it's influence on market values, certain 'unwilling' selling clubs, like Burnley, have decided to add an extra nought to their prices, as a consequence bargains that WERE there to be had have essentially disappeared!

The knock on effect is plain to see, David Moyes's pursuit of James Tarkowski in the January transfer window has ground to an abrupt halt as a result of Sean Dyche slapping a quite ludicrous £30 Million price tag on the 29 year old centre back who has only SIX months remaining on his contract, a contract that has NO extension clause!

Fair play to Dyche who is trying to navigate his way out of the relegation quagmire, while coping with a ridiculous fixture back log at Turf Moor this month and the next. Burnley are bottom of the Premier League, but have as many as FIVE games in hand on other teams, so there need to retain a player of Tarkowski's ability and experience is paramount.

Any financial gain Burnley could make by selling Tarkowski during this window, ahead of losing him on a free transfer in the Summer, pales into insignificance when compared with the financial cost of relegation! So despite David Moyes desperately wanting to bring a top class central defender to play alongside Kurt Zouma before the January transfer window closes, he WILL NOT be getting Tarkowski anytime soon and has already shifted his focus to signing Duje Caleta-Car from Marseille, we'll have more on that one in our next article. - LN