Liverpool are targeting West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen as a potential replacement if they lose Mohamed Salah to Saudi Arabia, according to FootballTransfers.
The outlet reported via their website on 28 August that should the Egyptian star be prized out of Anfield, amid a report from CBS
of a €150million [£128m] offer from Al-Ittihad, Jurgen Klopp would see Bowen as an “ideal replacement” in the “short term”.
The Englishman, 26, has “been on fire” so far this season with two goals in the first three games as the Hammers have jumped to second in the Premier League table, and while Liverpool remain “adamant” that Salah, 31, is going nowhere it looks like contingency plans are being drawn up in case.
Jordan Henderson and Fabinho have already left Liverpool this summer to head to the Saudi Pro League, but Salah would be the biggest signing from the Premier League if it were to happen.
According to FootballTransfers’ own model Bowen would be worth a fee of €47.8m [£41m].
It would be a surprise if Salah left so late in the transfer window, not least because their midfield issues have already been added to by losing two starters to the SPL.
But little can ever be entirely ruled out in the final hours before the deadline and the money involved is huge for a player who is already 31, even if he is a long-time Premier League star.
The fact that Bowen is considered an ideal replacement in the “short term” sounds ominous as it would allow them to plug the gap quickly and still look to sign another target with more time to make a decision should they choose.
That would clearly be highly destabilising to the excellent start that West Ham have made to the new season, with Bowen front and centre.
The arrival of Mohammed Kudus might make it slightly less of a blow but there is no way that David Moyes would be open to losing his star man at this stage.
The winger becomes just the latest big name at the London Stadium to be linked with a move to a Premier League rival, after captain Declan Rice did depart for Arsenal in an £105m deal, and Lucas Paqueta came close to a similar big-money switch to Manchester City.
Given how those two pursuits went, prior to Paqueta’s move collapsing due to the FA investigation around betting rules, there have to be doubts as to whether Bowen would be gettable anyway, even for huge money, unless he pushed for a move.
So this one seems like a long shot at this stage, but if a couple of key blocks fall into place in the next couple of days it might have Irons fans sweating.
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