Gerrard can land AVFC's next Southgate with move for "outstanding" £120k-p/w warrior - opinion

Aston Villa have stepped up their pursuit of Burnley’s James Tarkowski, according to reports.

According to the Daily Mail, Villa have offered the Englishman a bumper wage deal in a bid to tempt him into a move to Villa Park this summer, with the 29-year-old set to be available on a free transfer once his existing contract expires at the end of June.

The report suggests that the Midlands outfit have made a ‘double-your-money’ offer of around £120k-per-week in an attempt to ward off interest from the likes of Everton and Fulham.

This update follows a report from Sky Sports earlier this week that suggested that Steven Gerrard’s side were ‘in talks’ with the two-cap international, having already confirmed the signing of Marseille youngster, Boubacar Kamara on a five-year deal.

Moving for a player who has just suffered relegation from the Premier League may not appear a wise move to some, although the £19.8m-rated warrior has seemingly shown enough in his 194 top-flight appearances to warrant a high profile move to an ambitious club.

While not a particularly glamorous addition – amid rumours regarding the likes of Sevilla’s Diego Carlos and Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij – Tarkowski could well be the solid presence that is needed for the Villans, with the club having actually conceded more goals than the Turf Moor outfit in the 2021/22 campaign.

In a side scrapping for their lives for much of the season under both Sean Dyche and Mike Jackson, the former Brentford man still managed to record a string of impressive statistics, averaging 5.2 clearances, 1.8 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game, as well as winning 68% of his total duels.

Compared to those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, the Manchester-born brute