Liverpool urged to sign ‘absolute legend of a finisher’ to succeed Salah – his club look powerless to prevent £60m sale | OneFootball

Liverpool have been told the best candidate to replace Mohamed Salah lies within the Premier League and in West Ham star Jarrod Bowen, while TEAMtalk sources have revealed an update on the prospects of the England man leaving the London Stadium this summer.

Iconic Reds star Salah now has just a maximum of 270 minutes left in a Liverpool shirt – if fit to return from a hamstring injury, of course – as the curtain closes on a simply outstanding Liverpool career.

After 257 goals and eight major trophies in club colours across his nine seasons at Anfield, fans will wonder if they will ever see a player of his ilk again.

Well prepared for his departure, though, Liverpool bosses are well underway with their quest to replace him in attack, and sources have made it clear that RB Leipzig’s outstanding teenager star, Yan Diomande, remains right at the top of their wishlist.

However, former Reds striker Michael Owen wants Liverpool to replace the star from within the Premier League and has explained exactly why he thinks £60m-rated Bowen fits the bill.

Asked by talkSPORT if he would like to see Bowen at Liverpool, Owen replied: “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.”

Given West Ham’s precarious position within the bottom three, the Hammers could well struggle to retain the 29-year-old’s services – and TEAMtalk can provide some insight into the London side’s plans this summer…

Liverpool told West Ham intend to block Bowen sale

Indeed, Bowen is not the only West Ham star to attract major attention ahead of the summer window, with winger Crysencio Summerville and midfielder Mateus Fernandes also seemingly very much in demand.

Sales of all three could net the Hammers around £160m if they were to cash in…

However, the Hammers are ready to block all approaches for their services provided they secure their Premier League status, TEAMtalk has been informed.

While West Ham looked dead and buried at one point, a resurgence has given the club a fighting chance of survival, and they now look locked in a two-way battle with Tottenham Hotspur to avoid that final place.

After the weekend, though, West Ham slipped back into the bottom three after a 3-0 loss at Brentford, coupled with a Spurs win at Aston Villa and face another pivotal weekend, with the Hammers hosting Arsenal and Roberto De Zerbi’s side in action against Leeds, who now appear safe.

If they suffer demotion, West Ham will effectively be powerless to prevent their star assets, including Bowen, from leaving the London Stadium, and it would be too much of an ask for the England international to remain at the club in the second tier – despite his very obvious family ties to the club.

But should survival be achieved, West Ham are prepared to fully back manager Nuno Espirito Santo in the transfer market and a key part of that strategy is retaining their most valuable assets, rather than cashing in.

Bowen, long regarded as one of the club’s standout performers, continues to attract interest, with both Liverpool and Spurs themselves linked with a potential move for the £60m-rated star.

With regards to Liverpool’s pursuit of Diomande, the latest reports claim a player-plus-cash offer could unlock the deal for the Reds, with a forgotten £35m key to FSG’s chances of landing the Ivorian teenager.

There are also mounting fears that Salah could be joined out the Anfield exit door by Virgil van Dijk, and a report on Wednesday revealed that an ambitious club president is willing to ‘spare no expense’ to secure his signing this summer.