Jarrod Bowen is no longer West Ham’s indispensable, summer exit is on the cards
Jarrod Bowen has been West Ham’s most important player, up until now.
Let’s face it, West Ham would not be in a relegation battle if Bowen had left before now.
Not because he’s a problem, but because without his goals over the last few years, the Hammers would almost certainly have already been relegated by now.
The 29-year-old has scored 42 goals over the past two and a half seasons, showcasing just how important he has been in the Irons’ attempts to stay afloat.
And while he still holds a significant amount of importance today, he may have already passed the torch on to the next man of the moment.
Who is West Ham’s new main man?
There’s only one name for this, and it is that of Crysencio Summerville.
The Dutchman has taken his game to a whole new level this season, and after he netted in the 2-0 win over Burnley back at the start of February, he became the first West Ham player to score in five consecutive games since Jesse Lingard.
However, it’s not just his goals that have made a difference as of late, it’s his all-round play that have turned the Hammers into a dangerous attacking outlet, having looked toothless for large parts of the campaign.
And that is demonstrated by his Sofascore graphic below, which showcases just how more influential he has been than Bowen this season, despite the latter still being West Ham’s top scorer with eight goals so far.
The stats above showcase the qualities that Summerville brings to this side, with 2.26 fouls won per 90, 0.93 key passes per game and a 14.6 per cent conversion rate.
His record for the latter is arguably the most impressive, given the fact that it is higher than Bowen, who has consistently been the man that West Ham look to for their goals.
What does the future hold for West Ham’s attacking duo?
Both players have been linked with exits from the London Stadium, with Tottenham said to have been interested in Summerville in the summer.
But their future will largely hinge on whether or not the Hammers can avoid relegation ahead of the final 12 games of the season.
Bowen still has four years left on his contract come the end of the season, but given the fact that he turns 30 in December, this summer may be the last chance the Irons have to get maximum value from his exit, which seems inevitable at some point.
As for Summerville, he will almost certainly be off if relegation occurs.
However, should that not be the case, he is the one player that West Ham need to fight hell for leather to keep hold of in the summer.
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