Tarkowski is major upgrade on Hause

Kortney Hause could be made available for sale this summer after falling down the pecking order under Steven Gerrard, so a like-for-like replacement may be required in the transfer market.

Aston Villa need a defender who is dominant in the air and difficult to get shots past, but they don’t have the budget for an expensive option, so it makes sense that they’re interested in James Tarkowski.

The 29-year-old is highly-experienced, having racked up 194 Premier League appearances in his six years at Burnley, and he’s tall at 6ft 1. Tarkowski’s contract is up at Turf Moor this summer too, so he’ll be available on a free transfer.

And as for what he’d bring to the Villa defence, Tarkowski is excellent in the air (165 aerial duels won), brilliant at thwarting aerial balls into the box (159 clearances), adept at stopping shots getting through to the goalkeeper (42 blocked shots) and effective at turning over possession (66 tackles and 44 interceptions).

He’s third in the Premier League for aerial duels won and clearances, so it’s easy to see why Villa want him. The Daily Mail say there will be stiff competition from Fulham and Everton for him, however, but he would be the ideal replacement for Hause if signed.

In other news, the writing is on the wall for Morgan Sanson after Boubacar Kamara arrival