da winzada777： With the interminable 2022/23 campaign now firmly behind those of a Liverpool persuasion, Jurgen Klopp has succeeded in restoring the feel-good factor on the red half of Merseyside, with his team perched in first place in the Premier League.
da 888： Of course, the current term has only passed its 16th matchweek and there is so much more action still to come, with the busy festive period still lying ahead for the Reds.
But after finishing fifth last year Klopp's side can take great comfort in the fact that they are a major player once more, and while Champions League football sits out of reach until next season, there is plenty at stake, not least the Premier League title.
With the summer transfer activity succeeding in repairing the defective engine room, Liverpool are now primed to invest in different areas of the field, and while the defence appears to require the greatest attention, rumours persist over forward-thinking players.
Liverpool transfer news – Jarrod Bowen
In the summer, Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad were seemingly not contented with raiding Anfield for Fabinho and launched a stunning £150m raid for Mohamed Salah, and while Liverpool were disinterested in entertaining the advance, plans had reportedly been drawn up to sign West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen as a replacement.
Despite penning a fresh deal at the London Stadium back in October, Bowen remains on Liverpool's radar and, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Dean Jones has revealed what he believes it might take to prise him away.
He said: "If you consider that they've lost Declan Rice, who was their most valuable player, for over £100m, then if anyone was to come asking for Jarrod Bowen, they’re going to say ‘Well, we want the same as what we've got for Declan Rice then’ because if anything, Jarrod Bowen is even more important to them because, at times, he is the only player who is weighing in reliably with goals."
While it's unrealistic for the Hammers to issue genuine demands stretching toward the £105m fee that Arsenal paid for Declan Rice – who is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders across Europe – it does underpin Bowen's importance to his team. Frankly, this would not be a seamless transaction…
Jarrod Bowen's season in numbers
Bowen signed for West Ham from Hull City in a deal worth at least £20m in January 2020, with it no coincidence that the club's illustrious rise over recent years runs parallel with Bowen's own ascent.
Having now chalked up 50 goals and 34 assists across 177 appearances, notably scoring the winner as the Hammers beat Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in June, he has been the attacking lynchpin and deservedly arrested the attention of juggernauts such as Liverpool.
This season, he's been in devastatingly prolific form, already posting ten goals and three assists from 19 appearances across all competitions, with his rich vein of goalscoring brilliance leading talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino to remark that he is in the "Salah club", such is the technique of his striking power.
As per Sofascore, nine of such goals have come from 15 matches in the English top-flight, with the England international complementing his shooting success with 3.9 ball recoveries and 1.3 tackles per game, highlighting his application across the pitch.
As per FBref, the £120k-per-week machine also ranks among the top 15% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 18% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for interceptions and the top 2% for blocks per 90.
Quick and direct, Bowen would be able to provide a similar role to that of Salah – though, not at the same celestial standard – but he could establish himself as the club's next-best wideman, perhaps even surpassing Luis Diaz.
How Jarrod Bowen compares to Luis Diaz
Diaz has been excellent since signing for Liverpool from Porto for an initial fee of £37m in January 2022, plundering 16 goals and nine assists from 66 performances.
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But the Colombian returned from a damaging injury at the end of last season, since proving to be a constant threat on the left flank of Klopp's side, though he hasn't replicated the same success that saw him score four goals and provide three assists from his first 11 Premier League starts.
This season, the £55k-per-week ace is only creating 0.9 key passes and averaging 2.9 ball recoveries per game in the Premier League, having scored three times and created one big chance from 15 appearances.
This is a stark decline from his initial foray into the English top flight, where his rate of dribbling (2.4) has not almost halved to 1.3 this term.
Further, he was creating 1.5 key passes per game during 2021/22 and had completed 88% of his passes; this term, he still completes a respectable 80% of his balls but has evidently lost a bit of his snap and crispness.
While a tactical tweak in Klopp's system is likely part of the reason that he has seen his game shift somewhat, there is still no hiding from the fact that he is being outperformed by the likes of Bowen, who would be an amazing acquisition to bolster Liverpool's chances.
Finishing
Ball retention
Dribbling
Aerial duels
Passing
Crossing
*Sourced via WhoScored
Diaz is very good, and that fact mustn't be forgotten, with the 26-year-old currently ranking among the top 20% of positional peers for goals, the top 9% for pass completion and the top 19% for successful take-ons per 90.
But there's no disputing that Bowen is blossoming into a truly remarkable goalscoring presence for West Ham, and this is something that he could surely emulate at Anfield, using his versatility to impress across numerous roles.
Diaz, indeed, has only scored five times this season and has yet to assist a teammate in the Premier League, and while there is every belief that he will continue to impress and make incremental gains to his numbers over the coming months, Bowen would be an upgrade.