Jarrod Bowen cited as West Ham agree terms with ‘gem’ – pundit
Noel Whelan has backed Flynn Downes to get “better and better” under the watchful eye of David Moyes after he completed a move to West Ham.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, suggested Moyes may have unearthed another Championship “gem” after the successful signings of Craig Dawson, Said Benrahma, and Jarrod Bowen.
West Ham confirmed the arrival of Downes, 23, on Thursday (7 July) as the Irons look to bolster their midfield options.
Football Insider revealed earlier that day that Downes had signed a five-year deal at the London Stadium after a £12million fee was agreed with Swansea for his services.
The lifelong West Ham fan joins Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek as senior midfield options after Alex Kral’s departure and Mark Noble’s retirement.
Whelan insisted “beefing up” the squad is Moyes’ number one priority ahead of another fixture-packed season.
He told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “Look, Moyes knows how to get the best out of players from the Championship.
“He spots them quickly and he’s not afraid to bring them in. They seem to get better and better working under him at West Ham.
“The best example is Jarrod Bowen, of course, but he’s found a few gems from the second tier now.
“He needed more back-up and more players in the squad, particularly in that central midfield area.
“We saw last season with the European football that a lot of players played a lot of minutes – and he needs to beef up that squad to avoid something similar happening again.”
West Ham will play Europa Conference League football during the 2022-23 season.
Moyes’ side have also completed deals for Nayef Aguerd and Alphonse Areola this summer.
In other news, Football Insider updates as Everton make decision on signing Irons target Emmanuel Dennis.