Liverpool are eyeing a loan move for Burnley defender James Tarkowski but have been slapped with a £50 million price-tag for the English defender.
According to The Sun, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is keen on the services of James Tarkowski, who, he believes, can solve his side’s defensive problems. However, the Reds have been slapped with a whopping £50 million price-tag by Burnley, although they were initially plotting a loan move for the English defender.
It is believed that the Clarets are reluctant to let go of their star player but could find it difficult to refuse an offer as lucrative as £50 million. This, however, goes thoroughly against Liverpool’s initial plan as the Anfield giants were hoping to sign Tarkowski on a loan deal till the end of the season.
It has already been a terrible start to the year for the Reds, who not only lost their unbeaten tag last week but are also out of the FA Cup, thanks to Wolverhampton Wanderers. And the Reds are now fazed with the recent injury to star defender Dejan Lovren.
The Croatian international sustained a hamstring injury during Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Wolves last weekend. And with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip also facing a spell on the sidelines, Klopp is now devoid of options in the defensive department and thus, the addition of a new centre-back is almost imperative.
Tarkowski, in that regard, does appear as an appealing target for Liverpool for a number of reasons.
The Burnley defender enjoyed his breakout campaign in the Premier League last season and has since emerged as one of the highly rated centre-backs in the English top flight.
Much like Lovren, Tarkowski is mainly known for his doggedness in defence. Although the fact that he has averaged 1.8 blocks as well as making 6.6 clearances per game this season may not necessarily entail his quality as a defender, it certainly indicates what he brings to the team.
And to that end, Tarkowski’s dogged defensive nature could certainly be beneficial for Liverpool, who already boast the services of Virgil van Dijk.
The Dutchman has played a key role in improving Liverpool’s build-up play and considering his technical prowess, combining him with someone as solid as Tarkowski would not only fortify the Liverpool defence but will also add another dimension to their defensive department.
Therefore, Tarkowski is certainly a viable transfer target for the Reds and although flushing out £50 million on a defender is always a gamble, it’s a risk, we feel, Klopp should take, especially now that they can finally make a push for their maiden Premier League title this season.
