Keeping wife & father-in-law happy! Why did Jarrod Bowen stay at West Ham after subjecting the Dyer family to Liverpool transfer rumours?
When demotion into the Championship was confirmed, fears were raised at the London Stadium regarding how long club captain Bowen would stick around. As a proven top-flight performer and England international, he was expected to explore opportunities outside of the East End.
The 29-year-old forward was, however, overlooked for 2026 World Cup duty by Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel. That snub may have played some part in his thinking when options were mulled over.
Liverpool were said to have been sniffing around for some time, and had seen Mohamed Salah leave a gaping hole on the right side of their attack, but no formal offer was tabled. Interest from elsewhere was mooted, but rumours never became anything more substantial.
Bowen eventually went public with his desire to remain at West Ham, in a bid to help the club bounce back into the big time, and remains tied to a long-term contract through to 2030. Professional stability will have been welcomed by those in his close personal circle.
Did the Dyer family influence Bowen's decision to stay put?
Quizzed on whether certain Hammers-supporting members of his family will have swayed a big career call, West Ham academy graduate Houghton - who was speaking to GOAL courtesy of PlayFame Social Casino - said: “You'd have to ask Jarrod that!
“I'm slightly surprised because there was a lot of talk about him moving on, wasn't there? A lot of talk about Liverpool a year or so ago. When you look at him, he'll be disappointed he didn't go to the World Cup.
“He seems to be a loyal lad. He'll be hopeful he can get West Ham straight back up. But it's not that easy, they've lost a lot of players. They should have enough to certainly be competitive in the Championship.
“I've been there myself when you've gone down and you're a big scalp, so many people want to beat you, and that was shown against Burnley when they were 2-0 up and then they conceded two goals.
“Jarrod seems like a really good lad and he knows he's got his head screwed on, he knows what he wants out of his career. I'm sure if it doesn't go well this year for West Ham, then he'll probably move on.”
Why did Liverpool not make a move for England international?
On the links to Liverpool, ex-Reds midfielder Houghton added: “I know they've been looking at wingers, I think that's been evident. You just have to look at the players that they're trying to play out there.
“[Rio] Ngumoha’s been good on the right at the moment. I watched [Victor] Munoz when he played against Como in the first game, when it was at the training ground. We've got Cody Gakpo.
“They've lost a few over the last few years - Mo Salah gone after last season, before that, Luis Diaz, which was a big blow. I don't understand that, don't profess to know what went on, but it was a bad move because you look what he's done at Bayern Munich as well. He's a top, top player.
“But yeah, I think Liverpool have been looking for wingers, and I still think they are. I think they're still looking at one or two players that they can bring in and strengthen that area.
“But as far as Jarrod's concerned, I don't think his father-in-law would be very high up when it came to him making a decision about what he was going to do. I think he's just a loyal lad and he’ll probably give it one season to see where the club goes.”
West Ham fixtures 2026-27: One point taken from two games
After surrendering a two-goal lead in their 2026-27 Championship opener against Burnley, West Ham saw more precious points slip through their grasp last time out when suffering a shock 2-1 defeat at home to capital rivals Charlton.
They will be in Carabao Cup second-round action against Southampton on Tuesday, before heading to Watford on Saturday. Nuno Espirito Santo is hoping to welcome more fresh faces on board before the summer transfer deadline passes - with further assistance for talismanic skipper Bowen being sought.
