Michael Owen has called on Liverpool to bring in West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen as Mohamed Salah's replacement and admitted: "I think he is brilliant."
The Reds are searching for a new right winger with Salah poised to depart the club when the season concludes. The Egyptian, 33, who has netted 257 goals in 440 appearances since arriving from Roma in 2017, announced back in March that he would be leaving Anfield after nine years this summer.
Bowen has emerged as a potential candidate to fill Salah's boots at Liverpool. The England international, 29, has registered eight goals and 10 assists in 35 Premier League matches for West Ham this campaign.
Bowen has delivered consistently for the Hammers since his switch from Hull City in 2020, and former Reds striker Owen reckons he represents the closest like-for-like option available to replace Salah.
When questioned whether he would welcome Bowen at Liverpool, Owen told talkSPORT: "How do you know? I have said that to a couple of my mates the other day. I said, if I had one player. Now, obviously, Jarrod Bowen's a legend of a player, West Ham, you know, adore the man, and rightly so.
"But, if West Ham went down, he would fit for me. I think he's absolutely brilliant. I was lucky enough to do like a striking master class for a TV show we did last season with him, and I couldn't believe it. Honestly, left foot, right foot, bang, bang, corners, pace. I mean, a real top finisher.
"I think he's a brilliant player. I would be taking him to the World Cup, and, as I say, you know, I don't want to upset West Ham fans, but if they went down, then he would be my idea of somebody to replace Salah."
Bowen could be snapped up at a reduced price should West Ham drop out of the Premier League. The Hammers are the bookmakers' favourites for the drop to the Championship after Nuno Espirito Santo's side slipped into the relegation zone following a 3-0 thrashing at Brentford and Tottenham's 2-1 victory over Aston Villa.
The former Hereford man has notched 84 goals in 277 appearances for the Hammers during his spell at the London Stadium, and considerable interest in his availability is anticipated this summer.
Despite Bowen being due to celebrate his 30th birthday in December, he still has four years remaining on his West Ham deal and could be secured for approximately £30million this summer. That would represent excellent value for the Reds and prove a shrewd piece of business as they look to mount a title challenge once again next season.
