Frank Lampard’s time at Everton was disappointing, to say the least. He took over from Rafa Benitez in January 2022 and was sacked just eight days shy of a year in charge, with the Toffees languishing near the foot of the table.
Although he prevented them from Premier League relegation last term, they shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place, not with the resources at their disposal.
There were very few positive aspects of Lampard’s tenure, however, the signing of defender James Tarkowski was one of them, especially considering the Toffees managed to secure him on a free transfer.
How much is James Tarkowski worth now?
Tarkowski left Burnley once his contract expired at the end of last season and subsequently joined the Merseyside club ahead of 2022/2023.
Having played over 200 matches for Burnley, his experience in the top flight was key for Lampard in securing a deal and his performances this term have been excellent, despite the club suffering.
With a Sofascore rating of 7.22/10, he ranks as the club’s third-best player while ranking first for clearances per game (5.3), second for accurate long balls (3.7) and third for both interceptions (1.2) and pass success rate (83%).
These stats clearly prove just how important he is to the club, and they may well be worse off without him in their starting XI.
Indeed, the 6-foot brute is now valued at €20m (£18m) by FootballTransfers and having not cost the Toffees a single penny, it represents an excellent piece of business conducted by the now-unemployed Lampard, which could prove to be fruitful.
His performances should also move to the next level with the Merseysiders appointing his old Burnley manager Sean Dyche as head coach, as the two worked together for six and half seasons and this will only be a good thing for the club going forward.
Lampard praised Tarkowski upon signing the 30-year-old, saying he was a “really strong leader” and he has certainly proven his worth during his first eight months at Goodison.
The Chelsea legend may not have done much of note in the dugout at Everton, yet he played a blinder over the signing of Tarkowski that’s for sure.