James Tarkowski has signed a two-year contract extension at Everton, but how long will he remain a mainstay in the Toffee's back line?
James Tarkowski is responsible for one of the defining moments in Everton’s recent history.
It was the centre-back who, in the 98th minute of the final men’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, volleyed home a stunning equaliser to send the home fans into rapturous chaos.
James Tarkowski provided one of Goodison Park’s famous derby moments (Credit: Instagram - @tarky19)
Those of a Liverpool persuasion may well suggest that Tarkowski should not have been on the pitch, having earlier committed a rash challenge on Alexis Mac Allister.
One might say that one match sums up Tarkowski as a player. Often so reliable in the key moments, but every now and then, liable to the odd reckless lunge or moment of madness.
One thing that cannot be questioned is Tarkowski’s availability. Only a hamstring injury in April of this season saw him fall a couple of games short of setting the record for an outfielder when it came to consecutive Premier League appearances.
Up until limping off injured against Manchester City, and subsequently missing matches against Chelsea, Ipswich Town, Fulham, Southampton and Newcastle United, Tarkowski had started every single Premier League match for Everton since joining on a free transfer from Burnley in 2022. In fact, the only time he had even gone off in one of those matches came in September 2023, when he suffered a head injury late on in a draw against Sheffield United.
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Tarkowski returned to fitness ahead of time, and though it would be fair to say he has not been at his very best so far in 2025-26, that durability and dependability make him a manager’s dream, especially in a position that relies so heavily on consistency in selection and performances.
It is no shock, then, that with Tarkowski’s contract running out at the end of this season, Everton moved to strike a two-year extension to keep him at the club until 2028.
Even in the matches where Tarkowski is perhaps not at his best, his level never drops far below what one would call average. Mistakes happen, but he has proved an excellent acquisition for the Toffees.
In fairness, Tarkowski’s worst displays tend to come when partnered with Michael Keane.
Keane has been a whipping boy of sorts for many a year at Everton — some of that criticism was fair, but some of it has certainly been overegged.
Keane, due to Jarrad Branthwaite’s injury issues and Everton’s failure to sign a right-back this past summer, has featured in every game for David Moyes’ team this term, and has performed well. But as a partnership, Keane and Tarkowski tend to have their difficulties. Both lack pace, and with Moyes wanting his defence to be aggressive, that can leave gaps.
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When Branthwaite returns to fitness, he will be back in the side. Some have suggested Moyes may then have a decision to make — who drops out? Keane, or Tarkowski. This writer is confident Moyes will see that as no decision at all.
Tarkowski and Branthwaite have formed an excellent partnership. They dovetail well — each of them possessing attributes the other lacks, to some extent. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, when Branthwaite became a first-team regular, Everton have the fourth-best defence in terms of goals conceded (102) of any ever-present Premier League side, while only Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle can better the Toffees’ 27 clean sheets in the competition.
While Tarkowski and Branthwaite have not played every match together in that time, they have been integral as a duo, and as previously mentioned, Tarkowski has missed just five games.
At 32, the only concern with Tarkowski would be a swift drop-off in form due to age, but there really is no sign of it. Had Everton gone ahead and signed that much-needed right-back, then Jake O’Brien would almost certainly have gone into the centre of defence alongside Tarkowski to deputise for Branthwaite, and could have provided more balance than Keane, given his quicker turn of pace.
Thanks to the fantastic stats pages on**Opta Analyst**, we can see that Tarkowski leads the Premier League this term for blocks (11), while he is second for aerial duels won (30).
TheFBref graphic below clearly demonstrates the areas in which Tarkowski thrives, and those in which he does not.
Tarkowski is fantastic at getting in the way of shots and is aerially dominant, while he is regularly well placed to make clearances.
Now we should caveat the above stats by making it clear that, given Everton’s recent run of bottom-half finishes, plus the defensive approach of Sean Dyche and, while less defensive, certainly pragmatic tactics of Moyes, it is no surprise to see Tarkowski rank highly for blocks and clearances. Indeed, even in his six months under Frank Lampard in 2022-23, Tarkowski was forced into more action than he would have been in a team that was more defensively resolute, even if Everton were attempting to control possession more often under Lampard than his successors.
But it paints a clear picture — Tarkowski is a fantastic defender, especially in the box. He is an organiser, a leader, and is Everton’s de facto captain, given Seamus Coleman is no longer a regular contributor on the pitch.
“It’s been a crazy few years. Some big lows but some massive highs. We’ve managed to get through the tough times and hopefully there’s positives ahead. It’s been a nice start to the season, a decent start, so hopefully we can build from there.
“The manager’s made it clear where we’re going — it’s up to us as players to take the club in that direction.”
-James Tarkowski to Everton’s media channels
The question now is, what does this mean for Everton’s defence moving forward?
As mentioned, once he is fit, Branthwaite will be back, but the youngster does tend to pick up injuries, and serious ones at that.
Everton must address the right-back situation in January; it has become obvious this season that teams have managed to find a way to get at O’Brien, who should be the immediate back-up when one of the first two are not fit. Keane, as well as he has played, signed a one-year deal this summer as a fourth-choice centre-back.
The medium term may well then depend on Branthwaite’s future.
Should he stay fit and hit the heights he has shown he is capable of, then it will be no surprise to see some of Europe’s elite come calling next summer. But, the 23-year-old has penned a long-term contract, so Everton would be able to command a huge sum. There is certainly no guarantee that Branthwaite moves on.
Should he stay put, then this writer would like to think that 12 months from now, Everton have not only brought in that starting right-back, but have moved on Keane, meaning Tarkowski and O’Brien are the players battling it out for a place next to Branthwaite.
Tarkowski, by then, will be approaching his 34th birthday. He is ultra-fit and sturdy, but at the same time, he will be around the age where being an automatic starter should not be a sure-fire thing.
For Tarkowski, the task is simple.
First, get back to top form. Branthwaite’s return will help that, but ultimately it is on Tarkowski. Then, guide Everton through the rest of their first season at their new home, and see how far they can go.
From then on, retain his place on merit, and continue to demonstrate the quality and leadership he has shown in abundance over the past three years.
Will those lapses or rash tackles ever truly leave him? Probably not, but this decision was a no-brainer for Everton.
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