Michael Owen Advocates for Liverpool to Sign Jarrod Bowen as Salah Replacement
Michael Owen believes Liverpool have already been handed the ideal answer to life after Mohamed Salah – and his name is Jarrod Bowen.
The former Liverpool striker has long championed the West Ham forward, and with the Hammers now relegated from the Premier League, the debate around Bowen’s future has suddenly moved from theory to opportunity.
Owen’s verdict: “Absolute perfect replacement”
Owen, speaking on Premier League Productions, did not bother dressing it up. In his eyes, Bowen is tailor-made for Anfield.
“I’ve said for a long time, I don’t make any apologies, Mo Salah has gone now from Liverpool, I think Bowen is the absolute perfect replacement for Mo Salah at Liverpool,” he said.
This is not a kneejerk reaction to West Ham’s drop. Owen has admired Bowen for years, as did former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who was known inside the game to be a fan of the England international. Liverpool have been intermittently linked with the winger in previous windows; now the circumstances around him have changed dramatically.
West Ham’s relegation has put one of their most important players in an awkward position: a Premier League-level star suddenly staring at the Championship.
Bowen’s numbers underline the point. In a struggling side, he still delivered nine goals and eleven assists over the campaign, dragging West Ham forward in a season that was otherwise sliding towards disaster. End product, work rate, intelligence in wide areas – the profile that made Salah such a force at Liverpool is at least echoed in Bowen’s all-action game.
Loyalty, ambition and a short career
Owen did acknowledge the emotional pull keeping Bowen at West Ham.
“Under normal circumstances, no. But he is such a West Ham lad, he’s the captain, he’s adored by the club, his family are all from the area,” he said. “If there’s any big player that is going to be relegated and stick with it then you can see it.”
Then came the reality check.
“However, Jarrod Bowen is incredible, you’ve got a short career, I mean he has to be playing in the Premier League.
If an opportunity came along for him like that, to play for Liverpool, then even the most ardent West Ham fan couldn’t begrudge that. Instead of playing in the Championship, go to one of the best teams in the world and fill Mo Salah’s boots, it’s really exciting for him.
“However, if an opportunity doesn’t come from one of the big boys like that, then maybe he’ll fight his way back into the Premier League with West Ham.”
That is the crossroads. One path runs through Anfield or another Big Six dressing room. The other runs through midweek trips in the Championship, trying to haul West Ham straight back up.
Bowen’s response: “My vision is getting this club back”
For now, Bowen is not biting on the transfer noise.
In the immediate aftermath of relegation on Sunday, with emotions still raw, he pushed any talk of a move firmly to one side.
“Listen, it’s still very, very raw. Talking about futures is disrespectful to the club, the fans, everything like that,” he said when asked about what comes next.
“This club deserves to be in the Premier League. That’s our aim now, this season is done, our aim now is to get back in the Premier League. That’s as simple as it is.”
He doubled down on that stance when pressed again.
“Like I said, it’s disrespectful to everyone to start speaking about futures and saying what’s going to happen.
“Like I said, I want this club to be in the Premier League. It’s a club that means so much to me, that’s given me so much, so my vision is getting this club back in the Premier League.”
Those are the words of a man who feels the weight of the shirt, not one agitating for the exit. But words in May can be tested by offers in June and July.
Liverpool’s decision – and Bowen’s
For Liverpool, the question is sharp. Salah’s departure has left a void on the right of their attack, both in terms of goals and sheer presence. They can spread those responsibilities across the squad, lean on internal solutions, or they can go out and buy a ready-made Premier League star who knows how to carry a team.
Owen is in no doubt which route he would take. He sees Bowen as the one who can walk into Anfield and handle the weight of replacing a modern legend.
West Ham, though, will fight to keep their captain. Bowen, by his own admission, feels a deep connection to the club and its supporters. His vision, today, is promotion in claret and blue.
The summer window will reveal how strong that vision remains when one of “the big boys”, as Owen put it, comes calling – and whether Liverpool decide that their post-Salah era should be built around a winger who already looks ready for the biggest stage.
