Hull City forward Jarrod Bowen celebrates after scoring. (Getty Images)
According to the BBC, West Ham United have signed Hull City forward Jarrod Bowen in a £20m-plus deal that would keep him at the club for five and a half years.
Bowen, 23, rose through the ranks at Hereford United before joining Hull City’s youth squad in 2014. Two years later, he was promoted to the first-team and since then, he has made 131 appearances for the club in the Premier League and the Championship.
In his debut season in the Championship, after the club got relegated from the top-flight, Bowen scored 14 goals and become an instant hit at the club. He then added 22 goals in the next campaign and emerged as one of the brightest young prospects in the country.
He has been a key member in the Grant McCann-led Hull side so far despite the club being at 14th position in the table. There has been a massive rise in his game in recent months and the forward was also wanted by several clubs including Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Hull City, according to The Shields Gazette.
However, he completed his medical and signed for the Hammers on the transfer deadline day. Meanwhile, West Ham are in the worst of spots this season. Having won just 6 of their 25 league games this season, the Hammers are languishing in the relegation zone.
One of the chief reasons for their poor performance is the inability to hit the target regularly. They have scored just 30 goals in the league so far. Sebastien Haller was bought in the summer but he has managed just 6 goals and fellow summer recruit Albian Ajeti is yet to open his account in the league.
Michael Antonio was deployed as the target man in few games but he didn’t prove to be a difference. Therefore, signing Jarrod Bowen in this situation would surely give them a boost in the games to come.
Bowen has been prolific in front of goal in the Championship, having already scored 16 goals in 29 games this term. He is in the form of his life and has evolved into one of the best attackers in the second-tier.
The 23-year-old is predominantly a right-winger but he is also capable of leading the attacking from the middle, as he has done in a few games for the Tigers. His versatility would surely help the manager in creating a team around his attacking prowess if needed.
The Leominster-born talent is at the right time of his life to take huge strides in the Premier League, given his potential, and if the manager can use him in the right way, he would be more effective in terms of increasing the team’s goal count. Therefore, West Ham signing Bowen is nothing short of a masterstroke.
