Everton reporter Christopher Beesley has dismissed speculation linking captain James Tarkowski with a move to Chelsea as "mischief-making" in the week before the two sides meet at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Goodison News picked up on comments from Chelsea fan and podcast host Simon Phillips, who told his YouTube Channel on October 12 that Tarkowski's name had been mentioned to him by a source. Phillips said: "James Tarkowski from Everton would definitely tick a lot of those boxes in terms of the experience and other bits and pieces.
"Now, you might say why am I talking about Tarkowski? Basically I've had his name mentioned to me, last week actually.
"I haven't put anything out on it yet and I've been trying to clarify the information and if there's actually anything to it. I've been checking in on it and had his name mentioned to me in a sense that the source said: 'You might want to look into this, there could be something there.'
"But the source was not telling me that Chelsea are interested in Tarkowski, they were telling me you might want to research this. That's what I'm doing right now, I'm trying to find out about it, if there's anything to it, it's a whisper, a very small whisper."
Tarkowski's Everton career
Tarkowski joined Everton on a free transfer from Burnley in 2022, and the ECHO understands the deal was agreed weeks before the official announcement on July 1. The centre-back has since made 109 consecutive Premier League starts before a hamstring injury in April last year, and has played 30 or more top-flight matches in nine straight campaigns.
Despite Chelsea's recent recruitment of experienced players like Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, there is no appetite at Finch Farm to let Tarkowski leave, with the defender celebrating his 34th birthday next month. Manager David Moyes has long been an admirer, having had a £30million bid rejected when he was at West Ham in 2020.
Club captain and fan favourite
Tarkowski scored a last-gasp equaliser in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, a moment he described as "chaos" but one that showed "what a moment it is". He has since been elevated to club captain, succeeding Seamus Coleman this summer.
Speaking after Everton's 2-2 draw at Hull City, Tarkowski said: "I think Everton are one of the biggest clubs in the country.
"We've got an exceptional stadium, a manager who is one of the most experienced managers in the game and a quality side with a lot of young and experienced players too. We have quite a few young players that are at the early stage of their careers and are going to progress and turn into top, top players so we know we are still a work in progress.
"So, from my perspective and most Everton fans, it's an amazing club to be part of."
Moyes, when asked about potential January sales, was emphatic: "Don't talk about that because I'm not selling any!"
Blues superfan Dr David France, who founded the Everton Former Players' Foundation, said of Tarkowski: "I think James Tarkowski is a great influence at the club. I think the day when he gets too old, and I don't think that's now, we'll miss him.
"He'll be very difficult to replace. He reminds me of a bouncer, he looks after everyone.
"He's a warrior. I called him a bouncer, that's very unfair, he's a champion, he's the guy you want in your corner.
"He'll never let you down. You need that in a team, you need that in any organisation, somebody like that."
