Newcastle United have been linked with signing Jarrod Bowen, and he is a player who could solve two major issues for Eddie Howe.
The Magpies are in the market for a right winger this summer, and it has been reported that Jarrod Bowen is Newcastle’s top target.
The fear has always been that a deal for the West Ham United attacker will be too expensive, but that seemingly will not stop Newcastle from trying to make a move.
Jarrod Bowen would be perfect for Newcastle’s front three
While Bowen is an ambitious target, he is certainly a player that is capable of taking Newcastle’s attack to the next level.
Combining him with Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon would give Eddie Howe one of the best front threes in the Premier League, which has to be the aim as Newcastle prepare to splash out on a Miguel Almiron replacement.
Almiron works hard and suits the Toon system, but he is not decisive enough in the final third. In contrast, Bowen is exactly that. The 27-year-old is on the back of his best season with West Ham, netting 20 goals in all competitions.
His contribution from out wide is exceptional, and his arrival would make Newcastle’s front three extremely terrifying.
Bowen would also lift the pressure on Callum Wilson
But that is not the only thing that Bowen would bring to Tyneside. He would also provide versatility, which could make him the solution to one of Eddie Howe’s biggest problems.
The Magpies have a world class striker in Alexander Isak, but he needs more support. Callum Wilson tries his best to offer that, and always does a brilliant job when he is available. However, he is not always available.
The 32-year-old suffers from so many injury problems that he is unable to provide Isak with the support he needs, while there is the added complication of his contract situation. Wilson’s current deal expires in 2025, and members of the Newcastle hierarchy would like to sell him.
But selling him will mean signing a replacement, which is easier said than done. Newcastle have already tried and failed to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with Everton asking for too much money.
Eddie Howe warned it would be extremely costly to sign a replacement for Wilson, and it looks like that will be the case. The Toon boss is a big fan of the £20million striker, and Howe has always been open about his desire to keep Wilson at St James’ Park.
And that would be more palatable if a player like Bowen arrived. While the England international would join the club as a winger, he can also operate as a striker. He has done plenty of times for West Ham in the past, playing through the middle on 22 separate occasions last season.
Having Bowen as third choice striker behind Isak and Wilson would give Newcastle more depth, and lead to less panic if both were unavailable. Of course, that would mean someone else having to play out wide, but Howe would have the option of deploying the likes of Harvey Barnes or Joelinton out there.
While Bowen would arrive as a winger, the fact he can play as a striker would make him an even more impressive signing for Newcastle United.
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