In a recent interview with Football Insider, former England forward Kevin Phillips has backed West Ham United to move in for Burnley defender James Tarkowski this summer. Phillips said,
“I think it would be a good signing.
“I should’ve asked him, he was at the cricket last week sat about 10 rows from me!
“I think it would be a decent signing, he’s a good solid centre-half.
“I was surprised when Dawson first went to West Ham but he’s been excellent. A good British centre-half.
“Tarkowski fits that mould. They’re a seven or an eight out of ten every week.
“He’s not going to want to go there and not play. He’ll want assurances he can play.
“If he does go there, can Dawson recreate his performances from last year? Maybe he’ll have to make way or they’ll have to share the load.”
Tarkowski’s Good Run Of Form In English Football
Tarkowski enjoyed another solid campaign with the Clarets last season when he put in a handful of dominant displays at the heart of Sean Dyche’s defence. The English defensive ace featured in 39 matches for the Lancashire outfit in the previous campaign, scoring one goal in the process across all competitions.
The 28-year-old deserves a pat on the back for averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 4.4 clearances and 0.6 shots per game in the Premier League. However, he needs to be more accurate when distributing possession from the back after completing 70.1% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
Is Tarkowski A Good Choice For The Hammers This Summer?
Tarkowski has proven his worth as a reliable defender at the back. He can time his tackles well to make a few crucial interceptions for his team. Standing at 1.85m, the Manchester-born talent can use his robust frame to attack the ball in the air and win some important 50-50 duels inside his half.
The English centre-half has good defensive awareness and can position himself well to make a clearance when required. However, Tarkowski has often gone long with his passing which he needs to rectify if he wants to succeed at a club like West Ham where he will be expected to play out from the back week in week out.
There is no denying that the Burnley star will add a lot of bite and steel to David Moyes’ defensive department. Moreover, he will offer some serious competition for Craig Dawson, Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop for a place at the centre of the Hammers backline next season. With all things considered, Tarkowski will be a great choice for the East London giants this summer as he is a Premier League-proven defender who could make a smooth transition to life under Moyes’ stewardship and become a success story at the London Stadium in the coming seasons.
