Liverpool v Aston Villa: Jurgen Klopp press conference
Liverpool may be wise to refine their list of Mohamed Salah replacement candidates as Al-Ittihad close in. Although the transfer window is now shut in the UK, it remains open for Saudi Pro League clubs, meaning a lucrative deal could still be done. If the Egyptian jumps ship, previous comments made by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp suggest that he might have his eye on Jarrod Bowen.
The West Ham star has effectively played his way into Salah replacement contention, which is no easy feat considering the sheer number of goals scored by the Liverpool forward since signing from AS Roma in 2017.
Bowen was relatively off-colour last season, scoring only six goals in the Premier League as the Hammers spluttered to a 14th-place finish. The 26-year-old has already notched half of that total this campaign.
Goals against Bournemouth and Brighton were supplemented by another strike against Luton Town on Friday night, as Bowen continues to justify the chant that he is ‘on fire’ with an electric start to 2023/24.
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The former Hull City forward, who can play out wide or through the middle, also has an assist to his name this term. Liverpool will likely have a number of glitzy names on their emergency hit list if Salah departs, but Klopp’s admiration for Bowen is well known.
The German made sure of that at the end of the 2021/22 season – the best of Bowen’s career as he notched 18 goals across all competitions. While that kind of output doesn’t stand up to Salah’s, the West Ham man may take another step up when surrounded by players of a higher quality.
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“Bowen, what a player he has become! Unbelievable,” said Klopp last year. “We saw him as well at Hull and he was really good at that time. I’m not sure a lot of people expected this jump, but he’s an unbelievable player.”
Naturally, with the transfer window closed for Premier League clubs, any move for Bowen would have to wait until January. And his signature would surely come at a hefty price, with West Ham certain to hold out for more than his £32.6million Transfermarkt valuation.
Positionally, the England international is effectively a carbon copy of Salah, in that he starts out on the right before making runs inside and using his potent left foot to do the rest.
Klopp will get an opportunity to assess Bowen at close quarters later this month as West Ham are due to visit Anfield on September 24. A good performance from the 26-year-old could make the Liverpool manager’s mind up over a possible January move.
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