Southampton opinion: Jarrod Bowen could be a top buy for the Saints

According to a report from Hull Daily Mail, Southampton and Everton are interested in signing Hull City winger Jarrod Bowen. The 22-year-old Englishman is coming off a great Championship campaign which saw him saw bag 22 goals and four assists.

After failing to achieve promotion, the Tigers could cash in and allow their star winger to get his chance in the top-flight, with Bowen’s contract running out at the end of next season.

One advantage Everton have in the race is Jarrod Bowen played under Everton’s current manager Marco Silva at Hull City in the 2016/17 season. That could push the flying winger towards a deal with Everton.

However, Southampton must do everything possible to beat Silva’s Toffees to the signing of Bowen this summer.

The Saints had a disappointing 2018/19 campaign in the Premier League. They flirted with relegation under former manager Mark Hughes, who was sacked and replaced by Ralph Hasenhuttl in December.

And Hasenhuttl’s appointment proved to be a masterstroke as the Austrian guided Southampton to safety in the top-flight. The 51-year-old manager will be keen to improve next season and at least challenge for a top-half finish.

So far, he has made only one signing in the summer window, with Moussa Djenepo joining the club from Standard Liege.

The Saints only managed 45 goals in 38 Premier League games last season, which clearly means Hasenhuttl should add a couple of more goalscorers to his squad.

Southampton are a club famed for having exciting British players in their ranks, but could Jarrod Bowen make a difference at the St. Mary’s?

Bowen has been fantastic to watch for Hull in the last two Championship seasons where he has scored and assisted a truckload of goals. The 22-year-old has netted 22 goals in a Hull side that struggled for large parts of last season, which speaks volumes about his goalscoring ability.

He largely featured on the right wing, although the Leominster-born star can operate on the other flank and as a No.10 as well.

Blessed with great pace, agility and off-the-ball movement, Bowen likes to cut inside from the right flank and test goalkeepers with his strong left foot from long range.

The former Hereford United combines his speed, dribbling skills and creativity with his tenacity and hardworking style of play to skip past challenges.

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Bowen is adept at creating his own space out wide and he certainly has the range of passing and vision to carve open defences at will. If the Saints manage to sign him, the 22-year-old could potentially form an exciting attack along with the likes of Moussa Djenepo, Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse.

Verdict

Bowen possesses all the right traits to be a top-class forward in the coming years and working under Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl could be the perfect platform for him to fulfil his true potential.