When West Ham United were relegated, the conversations almost immediately started to circulate around which players they'd be forced to sell during the summer because of the drop.
Everton were linked with a couple of options, although likely not the best of the bunch from the Hammers, with winger Jarrod Bowen listed among the targets that the Toffees, led by former West Ham manager David Moyes, could pursue.
A recent rumor suggests that Everton are prioritizing a move for the winger, and that they've already met with his representatives. That same report indicated a price tag of £20 million, which seems like it would be a non-starter.
Needless to say, that rumor is likely unfounded, but it doesn't mean that Everton aren't interested in Bowen. He fits the profile, to be sure. He's a former Moyes' player with Premier League experience, and he isn't terribly young.
The funny thing is, all of those reasons are exactly why Everton need to avoid getting into the race for Bowen, one they're unlikely to win anyway.
With an expected price closer to £50 million, and given his age (he turned 29 in late December), Bowen is not the player that Everton should be bringing in. Do they need a player like him, a goal scorer who plays on the right wing and would be extra dangerous opposite Iliman Ndiaye? Absolutely.
But what Everton should be eyeing is a Jarrod Bowen-type player, not the man himself. A younger player with a similar skillset who won't cost nearly as much and can be someone that Everton can either count on for the next several years or sell at a major profit.
There's little doubt that Bowen, and his 24 goal contributions last year for club and country, would improve Everton for next season. But at that cost, how long can you expect him to keep up the pace? There would be no opportunity to get a return on the cost because of his age, so Bowen would have to serious elevate the club for it to be worth the money spent.
And that's not going to happen, even if he is a solid player.
But he was a solid player for West Ham last season, and look where they ended up.
It's highly unlikely that Everton will either win the battle for his signature or even convince the player to choose the Toffees over other interested clubs, so it's probably moot anyway.
But Jarrod Bowen is the type of player you want Everton to pursue, just not the exact player you want to do the job.
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