West Ham to use Diangana money on Burnley defender

West Ham appears ready to spend in the transfer market after selling Grady Diangana. It has been reported that a bid has been made for Burnley defender James Tarkowski.

Defensive reinforcements are a must for West Ham during this transfer window. The Hammers had one of the worst defences in the Premier League last season, conceding over sixty goals. James Tarkowski has become a target of the Hammers and bid has been made according to the Telegraph.

David Moyes is said to be on the lookout for a new centre-back as it seems he does not have faith in Fabian Balbuena. The Paraguayan regressed during his second season, becoming a shadow of the impressive defender that appeared in his debut campaign.

This regression in Balbuena’s abilities means he could be on the way out of West Ham and Tarkowski is being targeted as his replacement. With Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna as the other centre-backs, the Hammers could have three excellent options at the heart of the defence.

An opening bid of £20 million has been made for the two-time England international. The majority of the money is most likely coming from the sale of promising winger Grady Diangana, much to the disappointment of some of the West Ham players.

Whether or not £20 million will be enough to convince the Clarets to sell remains to be seen. It’s likely that bid will be rejected as Sean Dyche will not want to lose one of his better players to a Premier League rival.

Tarkowski, even if he struggled to break past Ogbonna or Diop, he would not have to wait too long to become the first choice. Ogbonna is now the wrong side of thirty and could start to see his powers fade, leaving Tarkowski a prime opening to solidify himself in the squad.

Still only 27-years-old, Tarkowski is not old for a defender and if signed could become a mainstay in the West Ham defence for the next five to six years.