Sunderland are reportedly keen on West Ham defender James Tomkins.
Liverpool’s Emre Can in action with West Ham’s James Tomkins
According to the Daily Mail, West Ham United have placed a £12m asking price on defender James Tomkins, with Sunderland keen on him.
Tomkins, 27, joined West Ham way back in 1997 at the age of just seven, and has become one of the most recent success stories of the famed Hammers academy.
The defender, capable of playing at right back or centre back, has made almost 250 appearances for West Ham since making his debut for the club back in 2008.
However, Tomkins has become little more than a backup in East London, as Winston Reid, James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna are ahead of him in the pecking order at centre back, whilst he was overlooked at right back in favour of Michail Antonio towards the end of last season.
Now, Tomkins could leave the club this summer, and the Daily Mail believe that Sunderland are keen to land the defender, with Sam Allardyce looking for a reunion with the defender he worked with at West Ham.
However, the report adds that West Ham’s asking price is prohibitive for the Black Cats right now, as they want £12m – a deal Sunderland may not be willing to meet.
The chance to play first-team football under Allardyce again could be appealing for Tomkins, but such a huge fee could deter Sunderland from making a move for the former England Under-21 international.
Do you think Sunderland should pay £12m for Tomkins?
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