He signed on Friday afternoon. Five-year contract. The announcement went out at six o'clock. The reaction from the fans was different this time was less the frenzied excitement of the Neves signing, more a slow, building recognition from the people who knew their football.
The forums were full of posts from supporters who had done their research, who had watched his highlights, who were already comparing him to Southampton's Virgil van Dijk and Rio Ferdinand. The mainstream media were more cautious. Crystal Palace's signing of an unknown French teenager was the general tone. Who? was the subtext.
They would find out soon enough.
The Tarkowski negotiation was the most straightforward of the week, which is to say it was still a headache. Burnley had just been promoted to the Premier League.
