Michael Owen has urged Liverpool to move for one English forward who’s ‘crying out’ to be signed this summer.
The Reds are on the lookout for a right-sided winger after the exit of the legendary Mo Salah, and Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain is reportedly their leading target for that position.
However, the former Anfield striker believes there’s a homegrown alternative who’d be perfect for Andoni Iraola’s side, making the case for Jarrod Bowen after West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League in May.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo (via casino.org), Owen said: “Jarrod Bowen’s just crying out. I mean, there’s no risk. He’s brilliant. He’ll score plenty of goals; he’s played in the Premier League.
“I certainly don’t want to upset West Ham fans, but surely someone of his quality can’t be playing in the Championship for a year. I mean, it’s not like he’s 17 and starting his career. He’s got to be playing in the top teams.
“Even if they loaned him for a year, what about that? That’d be interesting, wouldn’t it? West Ham get back up and then he can go back, and that gives Liverpool time to find someone else. It might be a stupid thing to say, but Liverpool are desperate. They need somebody like him and I’d go and get him.”
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A report by The Guardian in May cited the Reds among several interested suitors for Bowen, who Owen previously described as a ‘real top finisher‘, and he’d certainly be among West Ham’s most saleable assets if they still need to cut their cloth accordingly after dropping out of the top flight.
The 29-year-old has long since proven that he can excel in the Premier League (65 goals in 238 appearances) and would provide Liverpool with a natural right-sided option, whereas Barcola primarily plays on the left for PSG.
Also, his nationality means that the Reds wouldn’t be filling the one remaining non-homegrown berth in their domestic squad if they were to bring him in, and in theory he should be considerably less expensive to sign than the France international.
However, with Bowen turning 30 in December, FSG may deduce that he wouldn’t represent a practical market investment, and he’d likely command a sizeable wage as he’s currently earning £150,000 per week at the London Stadium (Capology).
Our preference would be for Liverpool to go big on Barcola as a top-level, long-term wide attacking addition, but if he were to prove unattainable from the Champions League holders, then his West Ham counterpart would be well worth considering by the Anfield hierarchy.
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