Bowen snubs Premier League interest to stay at West Ham as club target new signings – with Rangers midfielder among options | OneFootball

Jarrod Bowen says he is staying at West Ham next season despite their relegation to the Championship.

The Hammers skipper joined the club in 2020, winning the Conference League in 2023 and helping the club to secure three straight seasons of European football.

But he was unable to prevent his side from being relegated from the Premier League last season, though insists he is determined to get West Ham back into the top flight following talks with the club’s co-owner Daniel Křetínský.

“I flew out to Prague in the Czech Republic to meet Daniel and Jiří 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,” Bowen said.

“It didn’t take a lot for me, because this club means a lot to me.

“I did an interview after the [Leeds United] game and said my vision is to get this club back in the Premier League. Sometimes you think it falls on deaf ears and people say ‘he’s just saying that’. There have been things written and different things said and you have to look at it and bite your tongue sometimes.

“But when I say something, I don’t hide away from it. For me, the main thing is to get this club back into the Premier League and speak to people in the club about what we want to do moving forward as a club for the better of the club. It was a no-brainer for me to be here and the vision is clear, it’s the Premier League.

“I had no affiliation to the club whatsoever before I joined but I see myself in years to come as a West Ham fan. So, I always think ‘what would they want as a fan if they got the opportunity to play on the pitch?’. For me, I think I’m like that character as well, so I think that’s the way.”

Bowen accepts that winning promotion will be a huge challenge, but says it is one that he is excited for.

“I think ultimately as a whole group, if we look back at it in 46 games’ time, what we want to achieve is to be in the top two to be in the Premier League,” he continued. “It’s going to be a massive thing for the club being back in the Premier League where we belong so ultimately the dream is promotion.

“I want the club really moving in the direction that we know we can be in. It’s not going to happen just because we think it can happen.

“We’re going to have to earn the right to do it, work to do it, set standards every day to do it and then hopefully, in a year’s time, we’ll be sat here and we’ll be celebrating being back in the Premier League.”

Bowen had attracted interest from Premier League clubs, with Brentford, Everton and Aston Villa among those who were keen on the 29-year-old.

The permanent signing of youngster Keiber Lamadrid remains the only signing West Ham have made so far this summer, but the club are expected to add to the squad before the start of the new campaign.

Hayters understands that Rangers midfielder Connor Barron is among the targets for boss Nuno Espirito Santo as the Hammers look to strengthen in the middle of the park following the departure of Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham.