James Tarkowski

[King Binny]

Position: Defender
Nationality: English
DOB: 19/11/1992
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 81 kg

[article=http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/10/oldham-athletic-news/83920/reds-track-tarky]LIVERPOOL have emerged as strong contenders for the signature of Athletic’s prized asset James Tarkowski.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, whose son Anton is on the books at Boundary Park, is an admirer of the 21-year-old centre back.

The Anfield giants, Athletic’s FA Cup, third-round opponents, may be willing to offer academy prospect Stephen Sama (20), a central defender brought in from Borussia Dortmund three years ago, in part-exchange to sweeten a deal.

Highly-rated prospect Tarkowski is expected to spark a bidding war when the transfer window re-opens at the start of the New Year, with a host of clubs showing interest.

In the Championship, Huddersfield and Burnley are among those believed to be looking closely at a player who it is felt could easily slot straight in at a level above.

Athletic manager Lee Johnson said he has had no offers but accepts that bids could arrive not only for his star defender but other talents among a young squad that has caught scouts’ eyes.

“I know there were a lot of people looking at Tarkowski,” said Johnson at his weekly press conference. “From my point of view, I am pleased as I want to keep him. Hopefully, he won’t be going anywhere.

“But we have got a lot of interest with people talking about a lot of our players. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were bids for one of four or five.

“But until you get asked the question seriously by a manager or chief executive, it doesn’t matter.”

Tarkowski’s current contract at Athletic runs until the summer of 2015.[/article]

[article=http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/357103/Liverpool-after-Oldham-youngster-James-Tarkowski]LIVERPOOL are hot on the trail of Oldham starlet James Tarkowski, 21.

The Latics defender – who is out of contract at the end of next season – is regularly being watched by scouts from up to 14 Premier League and Championship sides.

But Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers has seen what Tarkowski can do in person and Boundary Park insiders expect a bid.

Sources say Rodgers will look at a part-exchange deal worth up to £2million plus at least one player.

But Oldham boss Lee Johnson is ready to fight off the interest and said: “I want to keep him. He is a good player and hopefully he will not go.”[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Linked with Man Utd in October
[article=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/oldham-defender-james-tarkowski-coy-6207277]Forget the flash casino, celebrity nightclub or even Nando’s – you’re most likely to see Oldham Athletic’s hot prospect James Tarkowski pushing a trolley around Morrisons in Chadderton with his mum.

Because Latics’ highly-rated 21-year-old centre-half, who has been watched already this season by United boss David Moyes, is quite happy living at home with his parents and sister in New Moston.

And while his team-mates flock to swanky apartments in Manchester, Tarky is more than happy chilling out on the settee with the rest of his family.

“She makes me go shopping with her because she doesn’t like going around on her own,” the talented youngster told M.E.N. Sport.

“Every Thursday or Friday without fail, although I have to be careful not to get stuck into the digestives.”

It is a grounding that suits Tarkowski, who has been linked with a host of Championship clubs – and his beloved Reds – after consistently turning in man-of-the-match performances for Lee Johnson’s League One outfit.

“To be honest, the United stuff is a bit far fetched,” he said. “It’s nice to hear things like that and it is a dream, but that is all it is at the moment and you can’t think about things like that because you will get too confident and your form will drop.

“At the moment I am not looking further than Oldham.”

Talk of a big move is a far cry from last season when he struggled to break into a Latics side that, despite their cup heroics, slid towards the relegation zone under former boss Paul Dickov.

“It was frustrating because I had been promised games and I wasn’t getting them – even when we weren’t doing well,” he said.

“I was out of contract at the end of the year and that was worrying because a lot of people are in the same boat and it can be hard to get another club.”

Salvation came with the departure of the City legend.

“The manager left and first Tony Philliskirk and (ex-United coach) Mick Priest were brilliant with me. Then the new manager came and he has been brilliant too,” he said.

Tarkowski, immediately recalled to the starting XI by Philliskirk, played a key role in Oldham’s ultimately successful fight against relegation.

This season scouts have been flocking to Boundary Park to take a look at the ball-playing former Failsworth School pupil.

That has seen him given some grief by team-mates, but when it comes to living arrangements he finds nothing other than envy in the Latics’ dressing room.

“I don’t get any stick off the other lads,” he said. “I think they’re quite jealous actually. I don’t have to do any cooking or cleaning, I don’t have any bills to pay and I don’t have to fix anything if it breaks.”

It’s clear that Tarkowski values his family, although it does not stop him from self-deprecating mickey-taking.

“There’s me, my mum Janice, my dad John and my sister Joanne – we’re all Js which is a bit sad.”

Oldham fans have been quick to take to social media to sing Tarkowski’s praises. I ask him if he knows that some have christened him “New Moston Beckenbauer” after the legendary West Germany sweeper.

He says he does but adds that he needs to nip online to see if that’s a compliment.

“I’ve never seen him play – I’ll have to go on YouTube and check him out.”

Tarkowski will take his place in central defence alongside Jonathan Grounds for the visit of Carlisle United to Boundary Park today, while Genseric Kusunga is likely to fill in for the injured Matteo Lanzoni.

Joseph Mills is expected to complete the back four after extending his loan move from Championship outfit Burnley.[/article]

 

[Modo]

Another CB? With Ilori around? Bull.

 

[King Binny]

[article=http://www.football365.com/league-one/9104218/-?]Johnson and Rodgers have struck up a close friendship, with the latter's son on Oldham's books, but Tarkowski's name has not come up in their discussions.

Asked if Liverpool were interested in bringing Tarkowski to Anfield, Johnson said: "You'll have to ask Brendan that.

"Oldham are a club where we've got a history of selling players. The beauty of us is had we been sat midway in the table, everyone would be saying 'you've got so many saleable commodities there'.

"We've got a young group that are only going to get better and we have 40-odd scouts at every single game from all the top clubs. I've never spoken to Brendan about any of our players because it will deflate the price."[/article]

 

[Judge Jules]

Maybe he got confused about whom he was playing for yesterday. 😉