The risky West Ham and Liverpool swap deal which could see one of Jurgen Klopp’s ‘favourites’ arrive - opinion
West Ham have been linked with signing two rising Liverpool stars
West Ham manager Graham Potter needs to rejuvenate his squad without falling foul of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations.
The former Chelsea boss inherited a struggling Hammers team mid-season, that had already spent a reported £121m on new recruits, making them the 10th biggest spenders in the entirety of Europe last summer.
The Hammers were expected to compete for Europe for large chunks of last season but instead were forced to settle for a grim 14th place finish, picking up just 43 points and exiting both cup competitions in the third round.
West Ham found the net just 46 times over the course of the season, which was a tally only three higher than when the club were last relegated from the top-flight under Avram Grant in 2011.
The capital club desperately need to reinvigorate the side heading into the new season and have been linked with moves for a number of top youngsters to help get them back on track.
However, it’s far from a straightforward decision for Graham Potter, who could face interest for a real key player this summer.
West Ham set their sights on promising Liverpool duo
Mail Sport understands West Ham have added two-time England Under-21 European Championship winner Harvey Elliott to their list of targets this summer.
The Fulham academy graduate won the Player of the Tournament award in Slovakia after five goals in six matches, including the opener in the final and a brace in the semi-final as Lee Carsley’s young Three Lions defended their tournament crown.
The Liverpool playmaker, who started just two Premier League matches last season, looked head and shoulders above many of the opponents he was paired against, and in truth looked like a player much more suited to senior international level under Thomas Tuchel, rather than playing against stars still learning their trade.
Elliott ranks 10th in the list of England Under-21 cap holders with 28 appearances, and will hope like those above him such as James Milner and Danny Rose to have a long and successful career in the senior team in years to come. The 22-year-old has made 147 appearances for Liverpool, the majority of which as a substitute but has struggled increasingly for minutes since Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp. With Florian Wirtz arriving for a Premier League record £115m it seems almost inevitable Elliott will depart to try and realise his international dream. He’s believed to be valued at around £40m making him an expensive target for the Hammers.
Meanwhile, in the deeper area of midfield, the same outlet explains that the club admire fellow Liverpool and England Under-21 star Tyler Morton after impressive loan spells with Hull City and Blackburn in the Championship. He’s a tough-tackling box-to-box midfielder with the potential to thrive in the top-flight but has only played two league games for his boyhood club, with a permanent transfer now looking on the cards.
The bold swap deal Liverpool could look to strike with West Ham
Liverpool secured the future of Mohamed Salah after months of uncertainty when the 33-year-old agreed to sign a two-year extension with the club.
Salah was the top scorer in the Premier League with 29 goals last term while also contributing an impressive 18 assists. However, he’s approaching the twilight years of his career and is not expected to remain at Anfield once his existing contract expires. Liverpool have long been admirers of West Ham fan favourite Jarrod Bowen and could finally look to prise him away from the London Stadium to ensure they have a Salah successor in place.
Bowen scored 13 goals and contributed eight assists in 34 matches in the league last year. It marked the third season in which Bowen has finished as the club’s top scorer since arriving from Hull City in 2020. The 28-year-old is the club captain, top scorer and a key asset for the club, with the ability to thrive as both a right winger and on occasion as a makeshift centre forward. He’s won 16 caps for England at international level and is a regular in most squads without ever establishing himself as a real starter.
Liverpool have been interested in Bowen for a number of years with Jurgen Klopp reportedly describing him as one of his ‘favourite players’. West Ham have rebuked any claims that they’d sell Bowen in recent transfer windows and currently have him tied down on a long-term contract until 2030.
However, Football Insider has claimed recently that Bowen could be open to leaving West Ham to win trophies and play at the highest level. The 28-year-old is yet to experience Champions League football and has only had a few years remaining in his career to do so.
Bowen would likely cost Liverpool a significant amount due to his importance to West Ham but a potential offer to do a straight swap with Harvey Elliott or to offer cash plus Tyler Morton as part of the deal could potentially be enough to test the waters.
Elliott can play on the right-wing and through the middle has proven he can score goals in the recent Euros and could end up being worth significantly more money in years to come.
Meanwhile, Morton could add much needed steel and solidarity in the middle of the park as Potter aims to mould the team in his image. The risk, however, would be West Ham’s lack of goal threat, with Michail Antonio and Danny Ings both leaving on free transfers, Kudus leaving to join Tottenham for £60m, and Niclas Fullkrug struggling to hit the ground running in an injury-hit first season.