Daniel Lewis

Mon 25 May 2026 20:10, UK

Jarrod Bowen should only leaving West Ham United if it is for a team such as Newcastle United.

That is the view of Darren Bent, who also suggested a loan exit could make sense for the England international.

West Ham skipper Bowen is on the radar of numerous Premier League clubs on the back of the Irons’ relegation.

The 29-year-old is under contract at the London Stadium until 2030, but West Ham are in need of funds to account for the financial blow that relegation brings.

And Bent believes Bowen has a big call to make on his future in terms of what team, if any, he goes to.

Jarrod Bowen loan exit could make sense

Bowen has already implied he is happy to stay at West Ham and help the Hammers return to the top flight at the first attempt.

However, it may well be that United push for an exit as the wage bill needs to be slashed pretty drastically.

In the view of Bent, Bowen should only consider leaving West Ham if it’s for a certain calibre of club.

“He’s got a big decision to make,” Bent said on Monday’s talkSPORT Drive. “He loves West Ham, we know that.

“If I was him, I wouldn’t just got to any old club because it’s in the Premier League. He’s 29 and in his prime now. If he’s going to Newcastle, or someone of that ilk…”

Co-host Andy Goldstein said “it’s worth it”, to which Bent replied: “Yeah, 100 per cent. But also, I wouldn’t rule out the option of a year [on loan] and then he goes back [to West Ham].”

What Bent says does actually make a fair bit of sense on the face of it. Bowen surely would not lose any value – it would only go up if he shines in a better team – and he could still return.

For that to happen, West Ham would simply need to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, or else they will have no choice but to sell Bowen for £50million-plus.

There is a third option when it comes to Bowen

Besides selling Bowen or potentially loaning him out, there is still the slim chance he will stay at the London Stadium.

Bowen would need to take a pay cut for that to have any chance of working. Again, what happens next is determined by whether West Ham are a Premier League team or not in 12 months.

The West Ham fan favourite knows he is loved in East London, and that love is mutual, which certainly works in the Irons’ favour.

If cash can be raised through the sale of Mateus Fernandes and one or two others, that would give West Ham every chance of keeping the vultures at bay for the time being.

If David Sullivan already knows the plan is to sell Bowen, however, then West Ham simply cannot wait until the final throes of the window.