As West Ham United slide out of the automatic promotion places – and indeed, after the Blackburn Rovers‘ result, out of the promotion play off spots too – so the Premier League vultures circle, reportedly, looking at key West Ham players who might be prepared to reconsider in January their own decisions to stay at London Stadium last summer.
Top amongst those is, of course, Jarrod Bowen. The Hammers’ skipper is still a full international and close to being the Irons’ record goal scorer in the Premier League, and it is well known he has signed a new contract with a paltry £15 million release clause allowing him to leave in the summer if promotion is not secured.
Goodisonnews.com. claim Everton’s struggles with Jack Grealish could lead under-pressure manager David Moyes to seek a reunion with Bowen in January:
“With Grealish on gigantic wages and not exactly given back the professionalism that deserves, could old interest in Bowen make perfect sense in January?
Bowen has signed on for another year come what may: He’ll be off next year of West Ham don’t get promoted, but not before
Captain of the Hammers, a more-recent England international, surely the threat of missing out on promotion could see the winger look at Everton more closely.”
If West Ham continue their slide, who could blame Everton for trying to prise Bowen away from London Stadium in the winter if the Hammers’ form continues to nosedive?
However I suspect anyone planning to grab Bowen in the winter underestimates his attachment to east London. Bowen has spoken many, many times of his love for the club and he is one of a dying breed for whom his word is his bond: Bowen has committed to seeing out the season as a Hammer, for better or for worse, and I’d see nothing, David Moyes’ personal invitation included, that would stop him fulfilling his side of the bargain.
Bless him. And build him a statue if he gets us promoted.