James Tarkowski says Burnley’s contract offer was ‘nowhere near good enough’ as he pushes for exit

Tarkowksi is nearing the final 18 months of his current deal

Burnley defender James Tarkowski (2020 Pool)

James Tarkowski has said Burnley’s contract offer at the start of last season was “nowhere near good enough” as he seeks a move away from Turf Moor.

Tarkowksi is nearing the final 18 months of his current deal and revealed he was offered new terms by Burnley both last season and this summer when offers from other Premier League clubs like Everton and Leicester City were rejected by the club.

But the 27-year-old is keen to progress his career and win back his place in the England set-up, and says while he won’t down tools for Burnley, he is unlikely to stay on past the summer of 2022.

“Burnley offered me a contract near the start of last season, which, for me personally, it was nowhere near what I was going to sign and I think the club understood. And they’ve come back again this year, and still, for me, it’s just not right,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“Finances do matter, but, at this particular stage, whatever path I take I will get financially rewarded so the financial side is not even in my thinking at the moment. It’s more about my football.”

He added: “We’ve had two transfer windows now where the club have decided, for whatever reason, that whatever has been offered on the table hasn’t been enough and that’s fine because I signed a contract for four-and-a-half years. So I won’t whinge or not turn up, I just need to deal with it and get on with my football.

“But the longer my contract runs down, I feel I gain the control of my career more than Burnley having the control of it, which is what I feel like I need right now.

“There is nothing I have heard or has been put to me that makes me think there is a scenario in which I would sign a new contract at Burnley. That can change, but currently that is the situation.”