West Ham United have been in fantastic form across the opening weeks of the 2023/24 Premier League season, using last term's triumph in the Europa Conference League as the framework for further success.
Only back in February, David Moyes was under artillery fire for his side's woes in the English top-flight, flattering to deceive and languishing near the bottom of the table, with a match against Nottingham Forest considered a must-win (and win they did, 4-0) for the Scottish manager to continue his reign.
Lifting that glinted continental trophy has provided the Irons with a third successive campaign in European competition and a return to the Europa League.
Given the impressive acquisitions – including Mohammed Kudus, James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez and Konstantinos Mavropanos – Moyes and co do not believe United have yet reached their zenith, and despite the £105m sale of coveted midfielder Declan Rice, ten points from 12 to kick off the league journey bodes well.
Such additions are impressive, true, but United's core quality has remained despite Rice's departure, with none more awe-inspiring than Jarrod Bowen, who is the centrepiece of the forward drive.
How much did West Ham sign Jarrod Bowen for?
Prior to his move to east London, Bowen had been tearing it up with Hull City in the Championship, scoring 54 goals and supplying 14 assists from 153 outings and earning a £22m transfer in January 2020, on deadline day.
The four-cap England international has been instrumental to West Ham's rise over over the past several years, posting 43 goals and 32 assists from 162 appearances and earning praise for his "unreal" performances by Stephen Killen.
According to former Hull assistant manager Cliff Bryne, Bowen was a "very humble boy" who wanted "to be the best he could be" while plying his trade at the MKM Stadium, and after plundering 16 goals and seven assists across the first half of the 2019/20 Championship campaign, he earned his move to the London Stadium.
What is Jarrod Bowen's market value?
Bowen's high-rising trajectory since donning the West Ham shirt has been a by-product of his hard-working, diligent attitude, utilising his qualities to their full capacity by blending intelligence with natural ability.
As per CIES Football Observatory, the one-time Hereford City youngster is now worth up to €50m (£43m), almost two times the fee paid by the Hammers hierarchy for his services.
It was a complete coup for the side, and it's certainly no mere coincidence that the club's rise has run in tandem with Bowen's ascent to Premier League and European prominence.
The likes of Liverpool have even been credited with an interest in the 26-year-old's services this summer, with Football Transfers claiming that the winger had been earmarked as the potential successor to the imperious Mohamed Salah's position on the Reds' right flank, with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad in pursuit of the 31-year-old with an offer as high as £200m this summer.
Some might be dubious over Bowen's ability to assume such a role, but after such a fine start to the present campaign in a continuation of his stunning exploits in east London, talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan even waxed lyrical over the "unbelievable" star, claiming he has "joined the Salah club" after his sumptuous strike against Brighton & Hove Albion last month.
A true staple of Moyes' remarkable reign at West Ham, Bowen is endeared by those affiliated with the Premier League outfit. But just how has he earned such acclaim; the short answer, he's rather good.
How many goals has Jarrod Bowen scored for West Ham?
The more scrupulous version of events delves deep into the meteoric jump that has been taken.
When Moyes was appointed as West Ham's head coach for a second spell on the 30th of December 2019 – just one month before Bowen's introduction – the Irons were showing more than a little sign of rust.
Manuel Pellegrini was sacked after nine losses from 12 contests just days before in a fruitless Christmas period, and the Hammers were moored in 17th place in the top-flight, one point above the danger zone.
Moyes got to work and implemented his wide-spreading tactical set-up, utilising his wide players to envelop the centre-forward and heap pressure on the opposing backline.
This paid off, with an efficient, well-drilled system resulting in a late-season purple patch that guided the club to a 16th-placed finish – five points ahead of relegated Bournemouth – after just one defeat from the final seven matches of the season.
Bowen played a big role, turning his goal threat with the Tigers into steady supplementation, earning four assists and scoring the opening goal on his full debut in a crucial win over Southampton, taking the side out of the bottom three.
What ensued was remarkable, with successive top-seven finishes resulting in two campaigns under the European lights, the latter of which, in the Conference League last season, Bowen would net the winning goal in the final against Fiorentina to glean West Ham's first major silverware since winning the FA Cup in 1980.
A dynamic, multi-functional offensive threat, Bowen incredibly landed 31 direct goal contributions across the 2021/22 campaign as the club reached the Europa League semi-finals, before his pivotal trophy-winning role last term.
Heralded for his "electric" presence by journalist Rahman Osman, Bowen thrives on the right flank and uses his incisiveness and explosiveness to wreak havoc, unlocked to his full scale by Moyes' sagely stewardship.
The £60k-per-week ace is showing no sign of stuttering, and with three goals and an assist across the opening phase of the 2023/24 campaign, the Hammers could strike the nail on the head once again this term as the cogs combine.
He has adapted and matured over his career at the London Stadium, now refined and capable of unlocking defences from multiple angles – hitting double digits in both goals and assists across the 2021/22 league season.
That looks like it might happen once again this year, and with such a momentous seasonal introduction, buoyed by his key role in last term's silver-laden triumph, it's clear that West Ham have hit the jackpot and then some in signing this talented star, one of the most underrated players in European football.