‘Graham Potter faces sack as Jarrod Bowen pushed towards West Ham transfer exit’
West Ham boss Graham Potter may be heading for a London Stadium sooner rather than later despite having only joined the club in January.
Potters’ appointment in January was met with a generally positive reception, as fans looked to put Julen Lopetegui’s divisive time in East London behind them.
The Spaniard had fallen out with West Ham summer-signing Jean-Clair Todibo, whilst sporting director Tim Steidten also looked to distance himself from Lopetegui.
The hope was that Potter would instil a calmness at the London Stadium, whilst using data and analytics, alongside Steidten’s successor in-kind Kyle Macaulay, to improve the dismal recruitment and performances of this season.
However, whilst West Ham have hit the headlines less often, there will be quiet concerns surrounding the future of star-man, Jarrod Bowen.
Liverpool interest in Jarrod Bowen heats up with Mohamed Salah’s uncertain future
With Mohamed Salah’s future remaining a mystery, Liverpool are again showing interest in Bowen, Mick Brown told Football Insider exclusively.
However, a move for the 28-year-old may not be contingent on the Egyptian’s future at Anfield, as Bowen is also viewed as an alternative to Alexander Isak, should the Reds fail to agree a deal for the Swedish striker in the summer.
The former Hull City man has shown his versatility this season, predominantly featuring up-top for the Hammers, as opposed to being used in his favoured right-wing position.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Bowen |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Starts | 27 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Assists | 5 |
| Minutes | 2,370 |
Bowen is firmly embedded in West Ham culture these days, having married into East-End royalty after tying the knot with Dani Dyer (daughter of actor Danny Dyer), and is treated as such by the adoring West Ham fans.
The forward is well compensated by his club, having signed a deal until 2030 two seasons ago, and has shown little signs of wanting a move away from the London stadium, but recent results, combined with a World Cup on the horizon may change Bowen’s thinking when it comes to his future at the club.
West Ham’s poor results leave Jarrod Bowen with question on 2026 World Cup spot
The 2026 World Cup in North America is likely to be Bowen’s last chance to appear for England in the most fabled footballing competition of all.
West Ham’s talisman will be 29 years old when the tournament begins, making it unlikely he will have a chance to feature for the Three Lions in 2030.
Bowen’s late arrival to the Premier League — having joined the Hammers in 2020 at the age of 23 — means the forward has only managed 16 caps for his nation, and whilst he was a part of England’s Euro 2024 squad, the ex-Hereford forward played just 35 minutes in the tournament.
With an eye on the right-wing spot, the 28-year-old will likely be concerned that West Ham’s poor form may impact his chances of being a regular inclusion under Thomas Tuchel.
The German named Bowen in his first England squad, but with Bukayo Saka missing out through injury and Ethan Nwaneri emerging as a true superstar, the Hammers ace faces stiff competition.
Should West Ham’s results continue to falter, it may impact his inclusion in future Three Lions squads, as shown by Tuchel’s desires to see his players be a part of England’s elite clubs.
Thomas Tuchel wants England stars playing for top teams
Whilst Bowen was included in Tuchel’s first England squad, Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite was a surprise exclusion, having enjoyed a fine season for Everton.
As reported by Sky Sports on X, the 22-year-old was considering his future with the club, having been left out of the Three Lions’ squad.
One of the reasons suggested for Branthwaite being overlooked was due to him playing for Everton, who find themselves near the bottom of the Premier League table, and not featuring in Europe.
Under Potter, West Ham are suffering a similar fate and if Tuchel is willing to overlook quality players due to the stature of the club they play for, Bowen will likely have questions on whether the current Hammers boss may hinder his England future.
West Ham without Jarrod Bowen would be relegation-battlers
As mentioned, Potter only joined the club in January, but West Ham have now proven themselves to be willing to cut ties with managers quickly if results fail to materialise, as shown with Lopetegui’s dismissal.
Since taking over, the Hammers have won just three out of 12 matches under the ex-Chelsea boss, with one of those against the soon-to-be-relegated Leicester.
The expectation was Potter and Macaulay would provide smart recruitment and exciting on-field performances, but with January’s marquee-signing, Evan Ferguson, nowhere near a starting role for the East London club and the team sliding down the table, patience may be wearing thin with the 49-year-old.
If Bowen were to leave in the summer, the Irons could easily find themselves in a relegation battle next year, with his goals making up 22.9% of West Ham’s goal-scoring output this season [transfermarkt], even in spite of having spent a long period out injured this season.
The Hammers board are likely to be well aware of potential concerns he may have with Potter’s performances since taking charge in East London, and could look to find a replacement this summer to avoid wasting another campaign next term whilst well aware of the impact on Bowen’s status at the club.
The star forward mouthed “who else” after scoring against Bournemouth in the weekend’s 2-2 draw, but if his manager has failed to do much to lift the huge responsibility off his shoulders and the collective failings around him have a negative effect internationally he could be minded to take a leap at a last big chance to play in the Champions League.
Since the latter years of the David Moyes era Bowen was becoming more important to the club than the manager, and after two changes in the dug-out that has only become more true, so West Ham may have huge decisions to make very soon.