Klopp Drops Transfer Hint With Praise For “Favorite Player”

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The Liverpool boss singled out one West Ham star for praise amidst long-term transfer links.

Arguably only one West Ham player came out of Liverpool’s 5-1 mauling of the Londoners in the midweek Carabao Cup quarterfinal with any credit, and that was Jarrod Bowen.

The Hammers’ star scored a brilliant consolation effort for his side, reminding Liverpool supporters of why the 27-year-old has spent years linked with an Anfield move.

While the age profile is likely now outside of FSG’s preferred range, the left-footed, right winger has long seemed a ready-made, Premier League-proven heir were Mohamed Salah—now with a mere 18 months left on his current contract— to ever leave the club.

Jurgen Klopp for one is a massive fan of the English international, singling Bowen out for praise in the lead up to Wednesday’s match for his performances as a false nine with talisman Michail Antonio unavailable on the day:

“Playing without Antonio, and Bowen steps up in that position,” Klopp said admiringly, speaking to Sky Sports. “[Bowen is] probably my favorite player besides my players,” Klopp said.

“It’s just great what he’s doing and how he develops.”

It isn’t the first time the Liverpool boss has shared his open admiration the Hammers star, labeling Bowen as an “unbelievable player” in March of last year, and revealing in November 2021 that Liverpool had been interested in signing him when he was playing at Hull City.

Even with David Moyes’ squad undergoing significant changes in recent transfer windows, Bowen’s performances have remained constant, tallying 12 goals and five assists in all competitions so far this term.

The diminutive Englishman’s numbers compare favorably alongside Salah, while playing for a less front-footed side, and would most certainly go some way to easing the loss of the Egyptian King were the Reds to, say, accept a monster bid from the Saudi Pro League for their star in the summer.

While the window to sign Bowen has likely passed, it could still be a transfer to watch for.