Moyes Must Sell £100,000-p/w Star at Everton After Bournemouth Horror Show
David Moyes must put his foot down and offload James Tarkowski in the summer to kickstart an Everton rebuild and reinvest in younger profiles in defence amid the club’s stadium move to Bramley-Moore Dock. The English defender was calamitous in his side’s 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth as they crashed out of the FA Cup in the fourth round.
Tarkowski has been with the Toffees since July 2022, when he joined as a free agent after leaving Burnley following the Clarets’ relegation. He’s been a fine servant for the Merseyside outfit, making over 100 appearances and displaying leadership, experience and defensive solidarity, but now is the time for Moyes to close the book on the veteran centre-back’s spell.
Everton’s loss to Bournemouth came courtesy of Antoine Semenyo’s 23rd-minute penalty and Daniel Jebbison’s 43rd-minute strike —Tarkowski was to blame for both goals, first giving away the spot kick after clumsily sliding in on Semenyo in the box and giving referee John Brooks no choice but to point to the spot.
The Toffees’ skipper was caught in possession on the stroke of half-time and couldn’t prevent Jebbison from doubling the Cherries’ advantage. It was a nightmare first-half performance from the two-cap England international, who will have a year left on his contract in the summer.
David Moyes Must Cash In On Troublesome Tarkowski
The Everton defender has shown signs of regression
The usual calm and steadfast approach to defending displayed by Tarkowski was nowhere to be seen at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon, and Moyes will be relieved he had the impressive Jarrad Branthwaite, who they must snub any summer approaches for, playing beside his skipper to clean up after the 32-year-old.
Tarkowski was beaten on the ground in three of five duels, didn’t make a single clearance and was dribbled past on two occasions. His nervy outing made the job that much harder for the hosts against a relentless Bournemouth side and Semenyo, who clashed with the Englishman throughout their tussle.
Moyes and the club’s new owners, The Friedkin Group, should consider overhauling the squad, starting with a Tarkowski sale and ridding themselves of his purported £100,000 per week wages. It’s not the first time this season he’s been costly, as he also gave away a penalty in a 0-0 draw against Newcastle United in October, with Jordan Pickford to thank for sparing his blushes.
The Toffees swooped for Irish centre-back Jake O’Brien last summer, and he could be a long-term answer to partner Branthwaite in Moyes’ backline. The Scottish coach highlighted this week that the 23-year-old has the ‘attributes that fill that position’ and that ‘his future will be as a central defender’ despite his recent full-back run due to a lack of other options.
Everton have committed a staggering £800 million to their new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, and they will want to ensure their finances are used appropriately to balance the books amid their stadium move. A Tarkowski sale could be a statement-making move that speaks of Moyes and the new owners’ vision of a new project.
