‘Excellent news’ - West Ham handed major boost ahead of Newcastle United clash

One of West Ham United’s key players has reportedly agreed to extend his contract at the club.

As claimed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on the eve of the Hammers’ Premier League clash against Newcastle United, Jarrod Bowen has agreed a new long-term deal to keep him at the London Stadium beyond 2025.

“EXCLUSIVE: Jarrod Bowen agrees new long-term deal at West Ham,” Romano posted on X. “It’s all done, one more excellent news for the #WHUFC winger after England NT call. Bowen wanted to stay as key part of the project. Jarrod said yes to final proposal.”

The 26-year-old was called up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad earlier this week for the friendly against Australia and the Euro 2024 qualifier versus Italy. He has started the new Premier League season in top form having scored five times in West Ham’s opening seven games.

Bowen came close to joining Newcastle in January 2020 but former owner Mike Ashley refused to sanction the deal. Steve Bruce, Newcastle’s head coach at the time, spotted Bowen playing for non-league side Hereford and signed him for Hull City in 2014.

After netting 54 goals in 131 appearances for the Tigers, Bruce planned a reunion with Bowen on Tyneside, but the Magpies refused to meet Hull’s asking price.

Bowen went from looking at houses in Newcastle to moving to London in the space of a few hours on deadline day.

The four-capped England international told the Premier League: “Deadline day, I had nothing. I thought I was going to Newcastle because Steve Bruce was there - I was looking for houses and everything, I thought it was nailed on!

“But they said ‘we’re not paying the money’. I was like ‘alright, I’ll just stay at Hull’. The fee was £14million with £6m add-ons. One of them was an England call up but I was like ‘that’ll never happen!’

“I went to training as normal on deadline day and thought I was staying at Hull but I got there the manager said ‘what are you doing here? We’ve accepted a bid from West Ham’. I was like ‘what’. I didn’t even know there was interest.”