Burnley opinion: Should the Clarets keep or sell James Tarkowski?

Burnley have been bad this season, which was a massive surprise after the season the Clarets had in the last term.

They were the dark horses of the Premier League and finished in the final Europa League spot. Injuries and various other issues saw them falter at the very last hurdle, losing to Olympiacos over two legs.

That was compounded with their terrible spending in last summer’s transfer window, which included buying Joe Hart, Ben Gibson and Matej Vydra.

Neither of the three purchases have managed to make even the slightest impact at the club, with Hart struggling to find his way into Sean Dyche’s plans.

That saw them flirt with relegation for most of the season. The club were never considered to be one of the favourties to get relegated, but they did spend a large portion of the season in the drop zone.

Eventually, a few changes saw them surge past Cardiff City and Fulham towards safety, eventually finishing in 15^th place. That kind of thing cannot happen again, especially if Sean Dyche and his men want to have a future in the Premier League.

That being said, the club cannot lose any players either, with the Daily Mail reporting that James Tarkowski is a top target for Leicester City, it’s something that the Clarets have to stop.

The Foxes believe that the Burnley star is the ideal replacement for Harry Maguire. The Mail further adds that Tarkowski would be open to the move as he looks towards the future. Losing him will hurt Burnley, especially given their sheer lack of leaders in the back.

While they did sign Ben Gibson last summer, he’s struggled to do much this season. Add that to Ben Mee and Kevin Long’s struggles as well and it shows just how much the club depends on James Tarkowski. The 26-year-old is at the peak of his powers and is arguably one of the club’s best players.

Add that to his defensive nuance and the fact that he’s one of the only reliable and consistent Claret stars and it leaves the club with a big problem.

Because no matter what fee Leicester City offer, there are few defenders in the world who can replace the 26-year-old at a reasonable fee that Burnley can offer.

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Conclusion

James Tarkowski has been a star for Burnley and that is something the Clarets cannot lose no matter what happens. His solidity and confidence as a centre-back has been one of the many reasons why Burnley has survived the Premier League this season and it will help them next season.