Over the last week, Liverpool have been strongly touted with a summer move to land Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, but would have to pay a fortune to secure his signature.
It’s been reported that the Reds are willing to pay £115m for his services, but the Magpies are demanding a staggering £150m to part ways with their star man.
Their interest in the Swedish international is hardly a surprise given his goalscoring record in 2024/25, notching 20 Premier League goals – sitting third in the top-scoring charts behind Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland.
However, the fee would make the 25-year-old the Reds’ most expensive player in their history, potentially pushing them closer to sustained success under Arne Slot.
It may be too much to fork out on one player this summer, potentially delving into the market to pursue other targets, with one other talent emerging on their shortlist.
Liverpool targeting move for £70m talent
According to Football Insider, Liverpool are targeting a summer move for West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen in an attempt to strengthen their forward line.
The 28-year-old has registered eight goals and five assists in his 27 league appearances this campaign, sitting as the Hammers’ top scorer during 2024/25.
It’s not the first time the Reds have been interested in landing the former Hull City star, after previously registering interest in his services in the transfer market over the past few years.
However, the recent report states that Bowen would be open to a move to Anfield this summer, with the prospect of winning trophies possibly taking his career to the next level.
Graham Potter’s side have previously placed a £70m price tag on his head, with a move for the England international potentially a better deal than any transfer for Isak.
Why Bowen would be a better signing than Isak for Liverpool
Whilst there’s no denying the quality of Isak and that he would improve the centre-forward department, other areas may be in need of investment this summer.
Contracts remain up in the air with just a couple of months left on the deals of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah, with none of the stars yet to put pen to paper over a new deal.
The latter is arguably the most important, especially when considering how crucial he’s been to the success endured under Slot during the Dutchman’s first year at Anfield.
The Egyptian international has registered 54 combined goals and assists in his 45 appearances across all competitions, helping the side sit top of the league table.
However, the 32-year-old is currently set to leave at the end of the season upon the expiration of his contract, with no new deal agreed between the club and the forward.
Should he depart this summer, a new winger has to be the priority over a striker, with Bowen undoubtedly a more important signing than Isak should Salah depart on a free transfer.
When comparing the West Ham star’s stats with the Egyptian’s from 2024/25, he’s managed to match or better him in numerous key areas – showcasing how much of a superb signing he would be.
Bowen, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Ian Wright, may have been massively outscored by Salah, but has managed to achieve the same shot-on-target accuracy rate – highlighting his impressive nature in the final third.
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How Bowen compares to Salah in the PL (2024/25) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Bowen |
Salah |
|
Games played |
27 |
31 |
|
Goals & assists |
13 |
44 |
|
Shot-on-target accuracy |
42% |
42% |
|
Pass accuracy |
71% |
71% |
|
Crosses completed |
3.5 |
1.9 |
|
Take-ons completed |
1.6 |
1.6 |
|
Aerials won |
0.3 |
0.3 |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
He’s also managed to complete the same number of take-ons per 90, whilst also completing more crosses, potentially improving other players’ tallies around him – just as the 32-year-old has done on Merseyside this season.
Whilst keeping hold of Salah would undoubtedly be the preference for the supporters, Bowen has demonstrated that he has the tools to soften the blow should he depart in the coming months.
He may cost a pretty penny to prise him away from the London Stadium, but it would be a worthwhile deal, allowing Slot to kickstart the rebuild should it be needed during the off-season.
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