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Report: West Ham want James Tarkowski – but there’s a problem

David Moyes remain interested in signing James Tarkowski for West Ham, that a January move is unlikely due to Burnley’s asking price.

The Hammers are looking to strengthen their defensive options in the winter window.

Lingard West Ham
Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

The Evening Standard reports that Angelo Ogbonna is likely to miss the rest of the season after sustaining an injury in the dramatic win over Liverpool before the international break.

They will look to sign a replacement for Ogbonna in a couple of months. But it would appear that Tarkowski will probably not be the man to come to the London Stadium.

, Moyes remain an admirer of the 28-year-old. And the Burnley man is still looking set to be a free agent in the summer. He is also open to joining West Ham.

Burnley FC v Brighton & Hove Albion - Premier League
Photo by Dave Howarth – CameraSport via Getty Images

However, that is not going to prompt the Clarets to let him go on the cheap in January. The Evening Standard reports that they still want £20 million – and that makes a move unlikely.

Paying £20m for Tarkowski will only make sense if West Ham are on cusp of something special

The Hammers have been outstanding this season. They now sit third in the Premier League, three points off the summit.

Obviously, there is a long way to go. But West Ham’s form over the next couple of months should determine how much the club spend in January.

Spending £20 million on Tarkowski in January would normally make little sense when his deal expires in the summer.

But if West Ham feel that the door is open to achieving something special this season, it may make more sense to pay a little more than they would perhaps like to on certain targets.

The last thing the Irons will want is to wonder what could have happened had they done more in January.