West Ham star is godsend for Graham Potter amid Newcastle United and Brentford shambles – opinion
It’s been a merry-go-round of Premier League striker transfers this summer but one man whose allegiances have remained unflinching is West Ham talisman Jarrod Bowen.
Goalscorers have always been in high demand during the summer window but, more so than ever this year, top flight clubs have been grappling to add bagsmen to their squads. The result has been several high profile transfer sagas, many of which remain unresolved.
Chelsea poached Brighton to sign Joao Pedro for £60 million, as well as pinching Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for £30 million. Arsenal snapped up Noni Madueke from Chelsea for £52 million with Manchester United purchasing Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £63 million and Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford for £70 million.
Elsewhere, Anthony Elanga has swapped Nottingham Forest for Newcastle United and Mohammed Kudus of course moved from the London Stadium to Spurs. Now, all eyes remain on Magpies linked Yoane Wissa and Liverpool target Alexander Isak as the strikers fall out with their respective clubs in trying to push through a move.
West Ham striker Jarrod Bowen bucking transfer trend
There have been little signs of allegiance from Premier League stars this summer and, amid all the transfer drama, it’s easy to forget the few prolific top flight stars who have kept their heads down. One of those is Bowen.
The England international managed 13 top flight goals last season for the Hammers, keeping his goalscoring exploits going despite an underwhelming season from the club. There had been murmurs of transfer interest from Tottenham Hotspur in May but those links died out even quicker than they came about.
That’s a credit to Bowen. The striker has 56 Premier League goals to his name and has earned a reputation as a deadly finisher. Really, he could be turning out each week for a club finishing much higher than the 14th place West Ham managed last season.
If the 28-year-old had an ego, he could feel even more right to kick up a fuss than the likes of Isak and Wissa. Should Bowen have pulled some sort of stunt to skip training and place himself in the shop window, it would take no time for Champions League clubs to come sniffing. The forward has another five years on his current deal at the London Stadium, but previous contracts have done little to stop high profile transfers this summer.
Graham Potter praises ‘fantastic’ captain
The fact that those rumours have never sparked into life is a credit to the striker’s mentality. Bowen has always remained committed to West Ham and that is a blessing for Graham Potter.
The former Brighton and Chelsea manager is trying to oversee a dramatic revamp in West Ham performances this summer and any debate over Bowen’s future would have been a huge distraction from vital work on the training ground. Potter is aware just how lucky he is to have a player like Bowen on his roster.
