AVFC now the favourites to sign "outstanding" £70k-p/w brute, he's perfect for Gerrard - opinion

Aston Villa have reportedly moved ahead of their rivals in the battle to sign Burnley defender James Tarkowski, as Steven Gerrard plots further summer additions.

As per The Athletic, the Villans are the ‘early favourites’ to sign the 29-year-old in the upcoming window, with the centre-back set to be available on a free transfer as his current £70k-per-week deal nears its expiry.

The Englishman had been retained in January by the Turf Moor outfit despite reported interest from Newcastle United, although his influence could not help the Lancashire-based club avoid a return to the second tier after a final day defeat to the Magpies.

While interest from the Tynesiders remains – as well as from Everton – it is Villa who appears to be to providing the most ‘substantial competition’ – as per this latest report – with recent speculation insisting that the Midlands side are already in talks regarding an agreement.

Although NSWE have recently confirmed the capture of Sevilla defender Diego Carlos, it would seem that there could well still be further defensive reinforcements to come prior to the start of next season, with Tarkowski the solid presence needed to shake up the Villans’ backline.

Recent reports have suggested Gerrard could be looking to cash in on both Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa after a somewhat disappointing campaign that ended with a 14th place finish, with the shaky defensive unit shipping 54 Premier League goals in all.

The departure of the pair would then heighten the need for the arrival of another central defender, with the Burnley man offering vital top-flight experience to come straight into the starting XI, while the aforementioned Carlos may need something of a bedding-in period.

With just two caps for the