According to The Telegraph, Aston Villa are hoping to sign James Tarkowski on a free transfer at the end of the season once his Burnley contract expires.
Tarkowski has been a Premier League mainstay for a number of years now, and he even has an England cap to his name as he’s played a key role in helping the Clarets maintain their Premier League status over the past few years.
The centre-half has reportedly already made his mind up about leaving Burnley, with some reports stating that he’s already told the Lancashire outfit that he will be departing on a free in the summer window.
Villa are reportedly now in the race, but as you may imagine, they’re not the only club keen on Tarkowski.
Indeed, Everton, Newcastle and West Ham have also been linked, and that inevitably throws up a few problems for Villa.
Newcastle’s allure is there for all to see. The Magpies are the richest club in the world and could offer Tarkowski massive money to come to St James’ Park.
Meanwhile, West Ham are once again gearing up to play European football next season, and with the clock ticking on Tarkowski’s career, he may well be keen to get another European campaign under his belt.
Unfortunately, Villa can’t offer European football or Newcastle-Esque wages, and sadly, they may also struggle to offer the defender a regular starting spot as Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa are two players at a similar level to Tarkowski.
The race for Tarkowski’s signature will certainly be an interesting one this summer.
