Jarrod Bowen was ‘parked up’ at Wetherby Services – but Newcastle United could not get the deal over the line.
That is according to former boss Steve Bruce, who tried to sign Bowen during the England international’s spell at Hull City less than four years ago. Bowen was so convinced that he was reuniting with his former manager at St James’ Park that the forward had even started house-hunting in the North East.
However, those at the top at Newcastle at the time were reluctant to spend big on a Championship player whose contract was winding down. West Ham, in contrast, had no such qualms and offered an initial £14m plus an additional £6m in possible add-ons.
It has proved money well spent. Bowen has scored 65 goals for West Ham, including the winner in the 2023 Europa Conference League final, which secured the Hammers their first major trophy in more than four decades. To think this was a player who was, literally, waiting to move to Newcastle.
“I had him parked up at Wetherby Services trying to take him to Newcastle and couldn’t get it over the line and he went to West Ham,” Bruce previously told talkSPORT. “One that got away.
“This lad knows how to find the back of the net. Even during his time at Hull, he managed to score 50 goals before making his move to West Ham. He may not have the natural flair of some other players we discuss, but he’s incredibly effective. Who would bet against him?”
Looking back, frustratingly, it was clear that funds were available for what the club hierarchy considered the right player at the time. This was, after all, a mid-season window where Newcastle had a substantial bid accepted by Lille for Boubakary Soumare.
A plane was even arranged for a club delegation to fly out and meet Soumare, but the midfielder chose to stay put and keep his options open. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise after the Frenchman failed to make a significant impact following his subsequent move to Leicester City.
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