Tarkowski rejects new Burnley contract after reported West Ham bid failed
Burnley defender James Tarkowski has confirmed he’s rejected a new contract offer from the Clarets after West Ham reportedly tabled a bid to sign him in the transfer window.
According to The Telegraph, the Hammers offered over £30millon for the 27-year-old England international but were turned down by the Turf Moor club.
Since the transfer window closed, Burnley have offered Tarkowski the chance to sign a new contract with his existing deal expiring at the end of next season.
However, the former Oldham and Brentford centre-back has revealed he’s rejected what has been offered to him at this stage.
“Burnley offered me a contract near the start of last season, which, for me personally, it was nowhere near what I was going to sign and I think the club understood. And they’ve come back again this year, and still, for me, it’s just not right,” Tarkowski told The Telegraph.
Tarkowski also shared that there have been bids made for him in the last two transfer windows but Burnley have failed to accept them.
The centre-back is keen to not agree fresh terms at Turf Moor so that he can have more say in where his career is heading.
He added: “We’ve had two transfer windows now where the club have decided, for whatever reason, that whatever has been offered on the table hasn’t been enough and that’s fine because I signed a contract for four-and-a-half years. So I won’t whinge or not turn up, I just need to deal with it and get on with my football.
“But the longer my contract runs down, I feel I gain the control of my career more than Burnley having the control of it, which is what I feel like I need right now.
“There is nothing I have heard or has been put to me that makes me think there is a scenario in which I would sign a new contract at Burnley. That can change, but currently that is the situation.”
Does this mean that West Ham can revive their interest in Tarkowski when the transfer window re-opens in January? Because David Moyes seem very keen to land the England centre-back in the last window.
As quoted by Sky Sports in September, Moyes confirmed West Ham had made moves to sign the Burnley ace but admitted a deal was unlikely because of the Lancashire club’s financial demands.
Since the new Premier League season kicked off, Burnley have failed to win and conceded 12 goals in seven matches while West Ham are 12th in the standings with three wins and have conceded 10 times.
Moyes’ defence is, surprisingly, doing better than Sean Dyche’s.
Craig Dawson joined the Hammers on loan from Watford last month and is yet to make an appearance while Issa Diop is stuck on the bench with Fabian Balbuena, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell impressing in a back-three.
Do West Ham need Tarkowski?
If the price is right then there’s a good chance he would be a solid addition to the squad at the London Stadium but for now, we don’t see why West Ham need to strengthen their defence in January with the side playing so well.
In other West Ham news, Alan Shearer selected this Irons player for his team of the week.