Everton are confident of signing free agent James Tarkowski once he returns from holiday.

Tarkowski has been eager to depart the Lancashire outfit for some time, choosing to run his contract down so he would be able to decide his own destiny.

Sportsmail reported last month that Everton had pushed ahead of Aston Villa and Fulham for the Burnley defender – who has not given up on getting back into Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Interest in Tarkowski from Premier League clubs is no short supply. A host of Premier League clubs have registered an interest in signing him this summer.

Everton and Aston Villa – who are both looking to bolster their squads and improve on poor 2021-22 seasons under Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard respectively – are leading the pack.

However, Leeds United and Leicester City are also said to be keeping tabs on Tarkowski’s situation as they plot a potential transfer swoop.

Everton have offered a new three year deal to full-back Jonjoe Kenny. While, Burnley captain Ben Mee is also leaving on a free and attracting Premier League interest.

The Burnley captain had been stalling on a new deal throughout the year, choosing instead to wait until the end of the season to see what Burnley’s immediate future held.

Following their relegation to the Championship on the final day, reports stated that the 32-year-old would look elsewhere ahead of the 2022-2023 campaign.