Burnley have set a £50m price tag for star centre back James Tarkowski following an unsuccessful bid from West Ham.
The Lancashire club recently turned down a £27m offer from their Premier League rivals, who are in dire need of defensive reinforcements.
According to Sky Sports, Burnley have now stuck a £50m asking rate for their England international, with Sean Dyche's side under no pressure to sell the 27-year-old defender who has been one of their top performers in recent years.
Tarkowski was an ever-present member of the Burnley side that finished tenth in a hugely successful 2019/20 campaign as the Clarets ended up keeping 15 clean sheets, the third-highest total in the league.
The former Brentford man has been a staple of the Turf Moor defence since moving from the Bees for £3.6m four years ago and his good form has seen his earn two England caps under current boss Gareth Southgate. Dyche recently commented on his surprise over Tarkowski's absence from the current England squad.
The Burnley boss said, as quoted by LancsLive: "We are not in the business of selling our best players on the cheap. I am amazed he (Tarkowski) was not in the England squad. It was the most surprised I have been with Tarky not being in the squad."
As captain of this football club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left, great kid with a great future!!!!! https://t.co/oNPPEp8Pt6
— MARK NOBLE (@Noble16Mark) September 4, 2020
David Moyes will be boosted in his pursuit of a new centre half by the £18m the club received for academy graduate Grady Diangana. The 22-year-old winger made a controversial move to West Brom last week, which upset a number of key players at the London Stadium.
"The money received for Grady will be reinvested entirely in the team, in line with the manager's targets," a club statement read.
Last season's Championship play-off losers Brentford will be hoping the two top flight sides can strike a big-money deal as the west Londoners included a 27.5% sell-on clause into the deal that took Tarkowski to Turf Moor. It could turn out to be a smart piece of business by Thomas Frank's side that would see them net nearly £14m if a £50m transfer does materialise.
Source: 90min
