According to The Telegraph, James Tarkowski is now likely to become one of Newcastle’s first signings following the departure of Mike Ashley.
What’s the story?
Well, you might’ve heard that Newcastle have been taken over by a consortium made up of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, Amanda Staveley and Jamie Reuben.
As a result, there is quite a lot of money to spend – £190m for now, at least.
The likes of Philippe Coutinho and Mauro Icardi have already been mentioned, but The Telegraph believe Tarkowski is likely to arrive first.
The £50,000-a-week man’s name has been mentioned frequently in discussions between football advisors and Staveley.
Interestingly, Tarkowski’s contract at Turf Moor expires in June, and Burnley will not stand in the way of a January move.
Therefore, a winter switch to Tyneside seems very likely, in our view.
Would James Tarkowski be a good fit for Newcastle?
There’s no doubt about it, Tarkowski – who cost Burnley £3m – would be a fine addition.
Yes, it’s exciting to throw names like Coutinho around, but the Magpies must first be sensible and sign reliable players who know the Premier League well.
They don’t come much more reliable than Tarkowski.
Crucially, The Telegraph mention that the 2-cap England international wants to join Newcastle, and is hoping they can reach an agreement with the Clarets.
The Telegraph add that an initial review of Newcastle’s squad has led to those on the Board deciding an urgent overhaul is needed, as every area is under-resourced.
The Magpies are likely to target a new full-back, centre-midfielder, winger and a centre-forward – there could also be more, but those are the priorities.
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