Defender’s high release clause means Leicester won’t sign him

To be absolutely frank, it is extremely unlikely that Leicester City will pay anything like £50 million for Burnley’s James Tarkowski.

Foxes of Leicester reported earlier in the week that there are two positions Leicester City want to improve through transfers: the wing and centre-back roles. There may also be reinforcements elsewhere in the squad, too. Yet Brendan Rodgers has only talked about incoming ‘attacking options’ arriving on Filbert Way.

When the Foxes backline is all fit and playing together, they are one of the best foursomes in the Premier League, if not world football. As witnessed in the premiership restart, if Ben Chilwell, Ricardo Pereira, Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans don’t start, Leicester are a much weaker defensive outfit. With the accomplished nature of the contemporary defence – if they remain a unit – is another defensive signing necessary?

During the off-season of 2019, the King Power side are understood to have made a £30 million offer for Burnley’s James Tarkowski which was rejected. That decision forced an ironically fortunate incidental for Brendan Rodgers’ team: Soyuncu was promoted to the first team and proved to be a wonderful addition.

This understanding leads to the question – is Tarkowski needed at Leicester? Obviously having international class athletes as understudies is great, especially with European competition on the horizon. But the player is also unlikely to switch clubs if he’s not a guaranteed crucial element.

Furthermore, making any possible deal less likely, Burnley have placed a £50m release clause on their defender. With Rodgers recently stating that the East Midlanders‘ recruitment wouldn’t spend just north of that ‘on any one signing‘ – FoL can rule out Tarkowski’s arrival.