Newcastle United transfer bombshell as claim made over £20m West Ham United star

Steve Bruce has revealed Newcastle United were agonisingly close to signing Jarrod Bowen before his move to West Ham United in January 2020.

The 63-year-old brought Bowen to Hull City from non-league side Hereford in 2014 and planned to reunite with the forward at St James’ Park.

Bowen’s 54 goals in 131 appearances for the Tigers eventually attracted interest from Premier League clubs, and it boiled down to either West Ham United or Newcastle on deadline day.

Unfortunately for the Bruce and the Magpies, Bowen ended up sealing a move to the London Stadium after being unable to raise the funds to meet Hull’s reported £14million asking price.

Bruce told talkSPORT: "I've got a big affinity with him. I signed Jarrod at Hull for £50,000 a long time ago when he was 16 so I knew all about him.

"I had him parked up at Wetherby Services trying to take him to Newcastle and couldn't get it over the line and he went to West Ham. One that got away."

Bowen has also told his own tale of the story. Speaking last year, he said: “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.”

Bowen has enjoyed a successful four years with the Hammers, scoring 59 goals and providing 38 assists in 199 matches. He has also played his way into Gareth Southgate’s England squad, earning seven caps so far.