---
title: "Burnley: Clarets reject West Ham offer for James Tarkowski; defender reportedly keen to leave"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/burnley-reject-west-ham-offer-james-tarkowski/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Burnley"
published: "2020-09-08T12:10:53Z"
modified: "2020-09-08T12:10:53Z"
---

# Burnley: Clarets reject West Ham offer for James Tarkowski; defender reportedly keen to leave

**Burnley have rejected a £28m bid from West Ham for [James Tarkowski](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/west-ham-transfer-rumours/west-ham-fans-pessimistic-tarkowski-transfer-latest/) and are holding out for more than £30m for the defender.**

That is according to a report from [Football Insider,](https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-west-ham-submit-huge-new-bid/) which also claimed that the Hammers are planning an improved offer and the promise of a significant pay increase for the 27-year-old.

The [report also claimed](https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-west-ham-submit-huge-new-bid/) that the [twice-capped England international](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/james-tarkowski/nationalmannschaft/spieler/173504/verein_id/3299) is keen to leave Turf Moor in order to force his way back into the national team squad, having been [omitted from Gareth Southgate’s selection](https://www.thefa.com/england/mens-seniors/squad) for this month’s UEFA Nations League matches.

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/THE-BREAKDOWN.png)

Tarkowski [played every minute](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/james-tarkowski/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/173504/plus/0/saison/2019/wettbewerb/GB1/verein/1132) of Burnley’s Premier League campaign last season, illustrating his importance to Sean Dyche’s team, while winning more headers ([5.3 per game)](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/184/Archive/England-Burnley) than any of his team-mates and receiving the highest [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/184/Archive/England-Burnley) average match rating among the Clarets’ squad in 2019/20.

The 27-year-old also made [more interceptions (1.7) and clearances (5.3)](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/184/Archive/England-Burnley) per game than anyone else at Turf Moor last term and has started 31 or more league games in [each of the past three campaigns](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/131464/History/James-Tarkowski).

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With [less than two weeks remaining](https://www.premierleague.com/fixtures) until Burnley begin their Premier League season against Leicester, Dyche may well be reluctant to sell such a trusted and integral player so close to the big kick-off. Indeed, with Tarkowski, Ben Mee and Kevin Long all facing fitness battles of late, the manager picked an inexperienced centre-back pairing of Jimmy Dunne and Bobby Thomas for last week’s friendly against Preston (as per [Lancashire Live](https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/burnley-injury-list-tarkowski-mee-18862268)).

Ironically, Tarkowski got his break at Burnley because of the club’s decision to sell a centre-back stalwart for a lucrative fee – the Clarets reaped £25.65m (as per [TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/michael-keane/transfers/spieler/118534)) from the sale of Michael Keane to Everton three years ago, with Burnley’s current centre-back starting just [four league games](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/131464/History/James-Tarkowski) in the season prior to that transfer.

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Verdict.png)

It seems that Dyche has been presented with an unenviable Catch-22 situation. By selling Tarkowski, he would be deprived of a core presence in Burnley’s defence and have very little time to find a replacement of the same quality before the new season starts and the transfer window closes.

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By keeping him, he risks losing out on a potentially lucrative windfall for the Clarets and keeping hold of a player who, if reports of him wanting to leave are accurate, could become disenchanted at Turf Moor and struggle to replicate the standards that he has set up to now.

***Burnley fans, would you take the money for Tarkowski or is he simply too important to sell? Join in the discussion by commenting below!***