Michael Owen Calls Jarrod Bowen the Perfect Replacement for Salah
Michael Owen believes Liverpool have already been handed the ideal solution to life after Mohamed Salah – and his answer is standing in a relegated West Ham side.
The former Liverpool striker has called Jarrod Bowen an “absolute perfect” replacement for Salah, arguing the England international cannot afford to spend his prime outside the Premier League after West Ham’s drop into the Championship.
Bowen, who has long been admired at Anfield – not least by former manager Jurgen Klopp – finished a grim West Ham campaign with sparkling personal numbers: nine goals and eleven assists. While the club collapsed around him, his form barely dipped.
Now comes the crossroads.
Owen: Bowen must play at the very top
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Owen made no attempt to play down how strongly he feels about Bowen’s next move.
“Under normal circumstances, no. But he is such a West Ham lad, he’s the captain, he’s adored by the club, his family are all from the area,” Owen said, acknowledging the emotional pull of staying put.
“If there’s any big player that is going to be relegated and stick with it then you can see it.
“However, Jarrod Bowen is incredible, you’ve got a short career, I mean he has to be playing in the Premier League.”
The argument then sharpened. With Salah gone from Liverpool, Owen went straight to the point.
“I’ve said for a long time, I don’t make any apologies, Mo Salah has gone now from Liverpool, I think Bowen is the absolute perfect replacement for Mo Salah at Liverpool.
“If an opportunity came along for him like that, to play for Liverpool, then even the most ardent West Ham fan couldn’t begrudge that. Instead of playing in the Championship, go to one of the best teams in the world and fill Mo Salah’s boots, it’s really exciting for him.”
That is the crux of it: Bowen at 27, in his prime, staring at a season in the second tier, while a Salah-sized vacancy looms on the right of Liverpool’s attack.
Owen did, though, leave room for a different path.
“However, if an opportunity doesn’t come from one of the big boys like that, then maybe he’ll fight his way back into the Premier League with West Ham.”
Bowen’s response: loyalty first, decisions later
If Owen is already mapping out Bowen’s next move, the player himself is not ready to follow.
In the immediate aftermath of relegation on Sunday, Bowen was asked about his future. His answer was blunt, emotional and firmly anchored in the present.
“Listen, it’s still very, very raw. Talking about futures is disrespectful to the club, the fans, everything like that,” he said.
“This club deserves to be in the Premier League. That’s our aim now, this season is done, our aim now is to get back in the Premier League. That’s as simple as it is.”
No talk of clauses. No invitation to suitors. Just a statement of intent.
He pushed the point again when pressed.
“Like I said, it’s disrespectful to everyone to start speaking about futures and saying what’s going to happen.
“Like I said, I want this club to be in the Premier League. It’s a club that means so much to me, that’s given me so much, so my vision is getting this club back in the Premier League.”
Those words will resonate deeply in east London. A local leader, the captain, vowing to drag West Ham back up. It is exactly what supporters want to hear in the hours after relegation.
But the market does not wait for sentiment.
Liverpool’s dilemma, Bowen’s decision
Liverpool, now under Arne Slot, face the most delicate rebuild of the post-Klopp era. Replacing Salah is not just about goals; it is about presence, reliability, and a relentless threat from the right.
Bowen ticks many of those boxes: left-footed, direct, tireless, with proven end product in the Premier League and a work ethic managers trust. Klopp saw it. Owen is shouting it from the studio.
West Ham, though, will not let their captain go lightly, emotionally or financially. Bowen has made it clear what his “vision” is today. The question is whether the pull of Anfield – and the chance to step into Salah’s old role – forces that vision to shift before the summer window closes.
