Newcastle United could have signed Jarrod Bowen but they’ll be playing against him for West Ham United on Sunday instead.
A trip down to London awaits Newcastle United this weekend, who’ll be looking to pick up their first away win of the Premier League season at West Ham United.
Newcastle have enjoyed a great week with three wins in three different competitions, and Eddie Howe’s side looks to be returning to their best after a challenging start to the campaign.
Nick Woltemade’s fine form is continuing, while the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon are putting in strong performances.
West Ham, on the other hand, are looking listless at the bottom of the Premier League table and are struggling under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Yet, Howe isn’t underestimating them and is wary of threats like Jarrod Bowen in their attack.
In another universe, the dangerous Bowen would be lining up for Newcastle instead.
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Steve Bruce came so close to completing Jarrod Bowen transfer at Newcastle
Bowen joined West Ham in 2020 and has become a legend at the club, scoring the 90th-minute winner as the Hammers defeated Fiorentina to win the Europa Conference League in 2023.
Yet, he just as easily could have gone on to become a legend at St. James’ Park, instead, as Steve Bruce nearly signed him for Newcastle before his move to London.
Bruce brought Bowen from the Conference all the way up to the Premier League when he signed him for Hull City from Hereford United in 2014, and he was a player he really rated.
So much so, he tried to sign him for Newcastle. He told the Die For Three Points podcast in 2023: “The big one at Newcastle in the last couple of years was Jarrod Bowen, who we had signed from Hereford.”
“We took him to Hull for £50,000 and watched him come through. A great kid.
“I had him. I had him parked in the service station on the M1, waiting for permission to see if we could do it, to see if I could scramble the money, but couldn’t get the money together. He went to West Ham instead.”
It wasn’t the first or the last time Mike Ashley keeping his hands in his pockets would leave Newcastle with regret.
Jarrod Bowen vs Anthony Elanga comparison
West Ham snapped up Bowen from Hull for £22m, which looks like an absolute steal compared to today’s inflated transfer market.
Newcastle paid £55m to sign Anthony Elanga this past summer and the expensive winger has not got off to a great start.
Though there have been flashes of his blistering pace and how threatening he can be, especially in the Champions League, Elanga has lacked end product.
So much so that the Swede has lost his place in the starting XI to the man he was supposed to be replacing, Jacob Murphy.
Elanga’s stats particularly pale in comparison to Bowen’s, despite the vastly differing fortunes of their clubs.
Bowen has scored three of West Ham’s seven goals this season and set up another one. Even in a struggling team, he is still managing to score and create.
Elanga, meanwhile, is yet to score his first Newcastle goal after 14 appearances and has just one assist to his name, against Union SG.
Newcastle need Elanga to start repaying his fee and soon.
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