Jarrod Bowen exit at West Ham now inevitable if what Joe Cole’s said is true
Jarrod Bowen could soon be on his way out of West Ham if Joe Cole’s worrying admission comes true.
There’s no hiding away from the fact that Bowen is West Ham’s best player, and his departure from E20 would be detrimental to the Hammers.
West Ham are in a relegation scrap, and although Nuno Espirito Santo has managed to instil some extra belief into the Irons, everything could come crashing down if Bowen were to leave.
That’s why West Ham fans will have their head in their hands after what former Hammers player Cole has just said.
Joe Cole believes Jarrod Bowen could leave West Ham for Champions League football
Cole was at the Hammers from the age of nine years old and pushed his way through the academy ranks.
He made his debut in 1999, before eventually leaving the club in 2003 and re-joining a decade later.
Similarly to Bowen, he was a right-winger who led by example on the pitch.
| Playes | Games | Goals |
| Joe Cole | 187 | 18 |
| Jarrod Bowen | 250 | 77 |
Bowen has been linked to Tottenham and other Premier League clubs in the past, and Cole believes that the West Ham captain may jump at the next opportunity to play Champions League football.
Cole said, as quoted by Guardian Series: “You have a finite amount of time in the game. When Jarrod’s head hits the pillow every night he needs to know whether he can play Champions League or for England regularly.
“He can, but he needs to know it. There’s a clock ticking on a career. When you’re a player, your loyalty is how committed you are, how much you play and fight for the club.“
Given Cole’s connection to the club and the internal sources he will have, it’s most likely that what he is saying is a reflection of what Bowen truly thinks.
And in truth, Bowen cannot be blamed if he wants to join a Champions League-level club one day having already given more-than-enough service to West Ham.
West Ham fans need to brace for Bowen’s exit in 2026
This season will most likely be Bowen’s last dance at the London Stadium.
Bowen has proved his commitment to the Hammers for multiple years, rejecting lucrative offers and proposals from other clubs, just to stay at E20.
The England attacker etched himself in West Ham’s history forever, when he scored the winning goal in the last minute of the Hammers’ Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina in 2023.
Unfortunately for West Ham, due to David Sullivan’s and Karren Brady’s incompetence, they are not in a position to give Bowen what he desires any time soon, and need to be resigned to losing him in 2026.
The happy ending for Bowen would be keeping West Ham up this season, and moving on next year.
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