West Ham United have submitted a bid of £27 million for Burnley defender James Tarkowski according to reports from the Guardian and Sky Sports.
But the offer may not be enough for West Ham to land the highly-rated centre back this summer. Burnley reportedly want around £50 million for the 27-year-old.
West Ham Bid £27 Million for James Tarkowski but Burnley Want £50 Million
West Ham Desperate for Tarkowski
West Ham will be eager to land Tarkowski, who made 40 appearances in all competitions last season for Burnley.
The defender is central to Sean Dyche’s success at Burnley since he joined the Clarets in 2015 from Brentford.
Tarkowski helped Burnley to keep 15 clean sheets last season alongside fellow stalwart Ben Mee. Tarkowski has also represented England twice in 2018 and made two appearances under Gareth Southgate.
West Ham’s bid was made days after fans and club captain Mark Noble vented their frustration at the club’s board. This followed the club’s sale of Grady Diangana to West Bromwich Albion for £18 million last week.
The Hammers will use money from the Diangana deal to fund their move for Tarkowski. However, their opening bid of £27 million, plus add ons, appears to fall short of Burnley’s valuation.
Unrest at the London Stadium
West Ham owners David Gold and David Sullivan faced a backlash from fans after the sale of Diangana. Some are reportedly planning to protest against the club’s owners at the London Stadium this weekend when the Hammers host Newcastle United on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Midfielder Mark Noble criticised the owners on social media last week. On Twitter, the club captain wrote: “As captain of this football club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left, a great kid with a great future!!!!!”
However, the club did respond with a statement on the Diangana sale in an attempt to appease the fans. A statement from the Hammers said: “The money received for Grady will be reinvested entirely in the team, in line with the manager’s targets.”
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