In what looks set to be his final act at Burnley, James Tarkowski was unable to help keep the Clarets in the Premier League. They were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United which condemned them to the Championship in the last game before his contract expires next month.
The Magpies have been heavily linked with the signing of Tarkowski who will be available on a free when the summer transfer window opens. Eddie Howe is reported to be keen on adding further centre-back cover to the squad after Dan Burn brought much-needed steel to the backline following his mid-season arrival.
Whether the interest that United once held in Tarkowski remains is unclear but, even if Burnley had managed to stay up, he was set to run his contract down. That desire to move elsewhere will be even greater now and he alluded to a possible exit on Sunday.
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“It’s a shame it’s finished this way. I’m sure the club will bounce back,” he told BBC 5 Live, as heard on the Football Daily podcast. “Whoever the new manager is will revitalise the squad because we’ve got some great talent in there and I’m sure the future looks bright.”
Tarkowski is one of nine Burnley players whose contract is due to expire next month. There could also be departures for the likes of Maxwel Cornet, Nick Pope, Nathan Collins and Dwight McNeil as they are deemed by many as too good for the Championship.
Plenty of other Premier League sides have been linked with a move for Tarkowski as he has been one of the most consistent top-flight defenders in the last few seasons. West Ham and Leicester are a couple of the teams who have held concrete interest in the 29-year-old previously and may both return in the race for his signature in the next couple of months.
