Jarrod Bowen has stated his intention to stay with West Ham despite the club's relegation to the Championship. The forward, who has attracted interest from several Premier League sides, traveled to Prague this summer for talks with majority shareholder Daniel Kretinsky and board member Jiri Svarc.
Bowen's commitment to West Ham
"I feel like we're moving in the right direction as a club," Bowen told West Ham's media channels. "There's a lot of thinking time over the summer and a lot of things that go in your head. But I look in years and years to come of when I retire, what's going to bring me the most happiness. For me now that's getting this club back into the Premier League."
Bowen joined West Ham from Hull City in January 2020, and his last stint in the Championship was with Hull. Despite the drop, the 29-year-old captain, who has a contract until 2030, described staying as "a no-brainer." He acknowledged that remaining in the second tier likely ends his chances of being recalled to Thomas Tuchel's England squad.
Talks with ownership
Bowen elaborated on his meeting with Kretinsky and Svarc: "I flew out to Prague in the Czech Republic to meet Daniel and Jiri and the ambition that I got from them, certainly in terms of the direction the club wants to move in, it interests me a lot. It didn't take a lot for me, because this club means a lot to me."
Clubs including Aston Villa, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea have monitored Bowen's situation, but he has opted to stay.
Financial impact and player sales
West Ham needed to raise funds after relegation and have already received £85 million from Tottenham for Mateus Fernandes. Winger Crysencio Summerville, tracked by Manchester United and others, is expected to leave, along with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo.
