West Ham United are desperate for a new central defender. The Irons conceded 62 goals in the Premier League last season and only the bottom four conceded more.
The Hammers have just Angelo Ogbonna, Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena as their senior available central defenders at the moment.
Ogbonna was brilliant at the back end of last season but the others have struggled after impressive starts to their West Ham career.
David Moyes is right to address his side’s defensive frailties and the player he is reportedly targeting is a solid centre-half as well. West Ham have been heavily linked with a move for Burnley’s James Tarkowski this summer.
The Hammers made their first move for the England international at the start of the month with a £27 million bid (Telegraph). Burnley quickly rejected that, forcing the Hammers to return with an improved £30 million bid with around £10 million in add-ons (Sky Sports).
Burnley refused to budge on that too, but Moyes and co were in no mood to give up. West Ham returned with a £31 million bid this week, of which £25 million would be paid up front (Sky Sports).
That arguably is a fair price in the current financial climate for Tarkowski, but Burnley have rejected Moyes’ offer yet again. Sean Dyche’s side are adamant that the centre-half will not leave for anything below his £50 million release clause; a fee that West Ham will struggle to meet.
Should West Ham consider other options?
It will be interesting to see if West Ham return with another improved bid for Tarkowski in the coming days. Moyes and co need to make a decision quickly, as relying on just one target with less than three weeks left in the transfer window is not a smart move.
Tarkowski would be an incredible signing for the Hammers but it doesn’t look like it will happen at the moment. The Hammers need to bring in at least one new defender before the window closes, which adds extra pressure on Moyes to get any deal done soon.
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