‘Tarky’ linked with shock January Everton exit as Chelsea claim emerges

Everton captain James Tarkowski has been linked with a surprise January move to Chelsea, although the claim is yet to be backed up by established sources.

The 33-year-old is reportedly being considered as Chelsea look to add experience to their defence under Xabi Alonso. The claim comes from the NATURE_CFC account on X and is attributed to an unnamed “Chelsea Insider”, with no corroboration so far from established journalists covering either club.

There has also been no indication from Everton that Tarkowski could leave. Given Tarky’s standing at the club and the length of his contract, there would need to be considerably more behind the story before Evertonians had much reason to worry.

Tarky to Chelsea?

The reasoning behind the reported interest is that Alonso wants more experience and leadership in a young Chelsea squad, with Tarkowski’s Premier League record putting him among the players supposedly under consideration.

There is some logic to the profile, even if evidence of an actual move remains thin. Tarkowski has played more than 300 Premier League games across his time with Burnley and Everton and would arrive without needing to adjust to English football.

For Everton, though, the more interesting question is why they would want to lose their captain halfway through the season.

Tarkowski signed a two-year contract extension in October 2025 which keeps him at Everton until June 2028, as detailed in our Everton contract tracker. He then succeeded Seamus Coleman as permanent captain this summer.

Tarky described getting the armband as the “proudest moment of my career” before the start of the season, having already deputised for Coleman on numerous occasions.

That makes this very different from a player approaching the end of his deal or slipping out of David Moyes’ plans.

Would Everton consider selling?

Tarkowski turns 34 in November, which would inevitably be relevant if another club did make an approach. His age is one thing; his current role at Everton is another.

He and Jarrad Branthwaite have started the season as Moyes’ preferred centre-back partnership, with Jake O’Brien and Michael Keane providing the alternatives. Our recent Everton squad audit identified central defence as one of the better-covered areas of the squad.

There is a longer-term decision coming. We have previously looked at whether Branthwaite and O’Brien could eventually become Everton’s first-choice centre-back pairing, particularly as Tarkowski and Keane move further into their thirties.

January is a different question, however. Selling the club captain during the season would remove a regular starter from a squad which Tarkowski himself recently admitted “isn’t massive”.

Everton also showed towards the end of the summer window that they were reluctant to weaken Moyes’ defensive options without time to replace them, rejecting a late West Ham approach for Michael Keane.

None of that makes a Tarkowski transfer impossible, particularly if a serious offer eventually arrives. It does make the suggestion of a January move more difficult to envisage than the initial Chelsea link might imply.

Chelsea claim needs further backing

The original report also claims Chelsea are not looking to add another young centre-back, having agreed a deal for Honest Ahanor and with Josh Acheampong already part of their plans.

That is being used to explain why an experienced defender such as Tarkowski might appeal to Alonso. It doesn’t establish that Chelsea have contacted Everton, spoken to the player or are even preparing a January bid.

For now, what we know about Tarky’s situation at Everton is much firmer than what we know about Chelsea’s supposed interest. He is captain, contracted until 2028 and has started the season alongside Branthwaite in Moyes’ defence, while the Chelsea claim still rests on a single social-media report.

Unless that changes and stronger sources begin to back the story, this remains a transfer rumour rather than evidence that Tarky is on his way out of Everton.

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