Crystal Palace weigh £50m move for Bowen despite West Ham captain's contract pledge

Crystal Palace are weighing a £50 million move for Jarrod Bowen, putting the West Ham captain’s loyalty to the test just weeks after he signed a new contract to remain at the club following their relegation to the Championship.

Bowen, 29, committed his future to West Ham this summer, citing a desire to help the club bounce back rather than walk away after their drop from the Premier League. Yet according to reports, Palace are prepared to table a formal offer as they look to fill the void left by Ismaila Sarr, who is pushing for a move to Galatasaray in a deal worth around £34 million.

New Eagles manager Pierre Sage left Sarr out of the squad for Palace’s 2-0 opening-day defeat at Everton, and Galatasaray are reportedly hoping to finalise the transfer within a week. That urgency has accelerated Palace’s search for a wide attacker, with Bowen — a long-time target — emerging as their primary option.

Palace’s interest in Bowen is not new. They were frontrunners to sign him from Hull City in January 2020 before West Ham ultimately won that race. Since then, Bowen has become one of the most important players in the club’s recent history, scoring the stoppage-time winner in the 2023 UEFA Conference League final — West Ham’s first European trophy since 1965 — and earning senior England caps along the way.

Bowen scored 11 goals for West Ham last season and remains the club’s standout player and fan favourite. While the Hammers would benefit financially from a significant sale, losing their captain and talisman at the start of a Championship campaign would be a major blow to promotion ambitions.

Those ambitions are already under pressure. West Ham have failed to win either of their first two matches, with Charlton securing a 2-1 victory at the London Stadium on Saturday. Taty Castellanos missed a stoppage-time penalty that could have earned a point, and supporters were left questioning why Bowen — the club’s captain — did not step up to take it.

Bowen has been clear about his motivations for staying. He said he did not want to leave the club in the wake of relegation, and that commitment drove him to put pen to paper on a new deal. Whether a £50 million offer from a top-flight rival tests that resolve remains to be seen.