'You've got to remember' - Keith Wyness drops Jarrod Bowen to Everton verdict
West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen could yet join Everton over Chelsea this summer.
That is according to former Toffees chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that it is currently “50/50” as to whether the winger moves to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Bowen has been extensively linked with both clubs in recent weeks, as well as Liverpool, with talks of a move away from West Ham intensifying after their relegation.
David Moyes brought the 29-year-old to the Premier League back in 2020, and is now lining up a deal to keep him there and jump ship from the London Stadium.
West Ham are at risk of losing several key players after dropping into the Championship, and the story of whether Bowen is willing to stick with them looks set to be one of the biggest of the entire summer.
“I think there is something there…’ – Keith Wyness
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Moyes’ “connection” with Bowen holds the key to him potentially making the move to Merseyside.
There have been suggestions in recent months that Bowen and his family are settled in the London area, but Wyness believes that a move to Everton could be on if he is prepared to step out of his comfort zone.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, he made it clear that the possibility of the England international moving to the Toffees is one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
“Dani Dyer, his wife, as well as Danny Dyer, the actor, have said they can't let Jarrod go out of London, and his wife's saying she doesn't want to leave and move up north, all the usual stuff,” Wyness said.
“But you've got to remember, Moyes was at West Ham when he gave Bowen the chance to come from Hull. I remember at the time, David Sullivan was very against that move. He didn't want Moyes to actually take Bowen, but he did.
“Thank goodness for West Ham in many ways that he did. And so there is that big connection between Moyes and Bowen.
“There is a chance. There's a lot of talk just now about Chelsea being one that would give him still a London club, but I think there is something there in Bowen and Moyes’ connection, so it's 50-50.
“It’s one that I think could well come to fruition if he's prepared to move out of London. We've got to just see how this one develops, but don't discount that Moyes connection.”
Premier League offers ready as West Ham ‘have to sell’
Football Insider revealed last week that several Premier League clubs have moves lined up and ready to go for Bowen in the coming weeks, as they prepare to take advantage of West Ham’s situation.
The Irons “have to sell” key players after dropping into the Championship, and the likes of Bowen, Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes have all been subject to significant interest of late.
Their captain has plenty of admirers among the Premier League’s elite, and the East London outfit may ultimately feel compelled to move him on if a lucrative offer comes in this summer.
Bowen has been a fantastic servant to West Ham since his arrival, but it may be that he can help the club best by moving elsewhere for the next chapter in his career.