Leicester City Opinion: Jarrod Bowen would be another fine addition to the Foxes’ attack
According to reports from Leicestershire Live, Leicester City are weighing up a £15million bid for Hull City winger Jarrod Bowen in the summer, with manager Brendan Rodgers keen to add more firepower to his attacking ranks heading into the upcoming campaign.
Leicestershire Live also reports that Cardiff City was one of the Premier League clubs to have been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old back in the January transfer window, although the Bluebirds’ £12 million offer was turned down by Hull City.
Leicester, though, are looking to go one better than already-relegated Cardiff’s rejected bid and Rodgers will reassess his options before putting a final offer on the table for Bowen, the Leicestershire Live understands.
Jarrod Bowen has been one of the standout performers in the Championship this season and has attracted plenty of attention from the Premier League sides due to his rapid development and scintillation run of form.
The 22-year-old has contributed with 22 goals and 4 assists from 46 appearances for Hull City in the Championship this term, emerging as one of the shining lights in the Tigers’ otherwise mediocre campaign in the second tier.
Bowen rose through the youth ranks at non-league side Hereford United before joining Hull City in the Premier League back in 2014. His start to life at the KCOM Stadium wasn’t the best and he struggled to break into the first-team on a consistent basis in his first three years.
However, things have changed dramatically for the youngster since the start of the last season and he has established himself as one of the most prized assets at the club.
Bowen netted 14 goals in the Championship last season and has surpassed that achievement by a long margin this time around. All in all, a move to the Premier League now seems very much on the cards for the 22-year-old after hitting double-figures in the Championship in successive seasons.
To put things into perspective, Bowen has an incredible goalscoring record for a wide player and Leicester City have every reason to look at him as a good long-term investment.
The Foxes raided Norwich City for James Maddison last summer and that move has paid great dividends, which should encourage them to strike a deal for the Hull City man. The Championship, at times, can be a reliable friend for the Premier League clubs and the Foxes have enjoyed the benefits of raiding the second-tier for top-quality players in the recent past.
Essentially a right-winger by trade, Bowen is known for his pace, agility, sharpness, close control and dribbling skills, which allow him to take on defenders and cut inside from the wide areas.
The 22-year-old boasts of a magical left foot which is capable of finding the net with powerful strikes from all ranges. Bowen, however, is not only about flair and trickery but his end product has also been very good this season.
The youngster has registered a total of 114 shots this season, 49 of which have been on target, which is certainly good enough for a wide player of his age. He has successfully completed 66 of his attempted 123 dribbles, while contributing with a total of 46 key passes throughout the season.
Moreover, he has also showcased the awareness and the work-rate to track back and defend, which is considered an important attribute for any winger in the English game.
In James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Demarai Gray, the Foxes have some really promising young attacking players in their ranks but they are yet to find a replacement for Riyad Mahrez down that right-hand side of the pitch.
Barnes mainly operates from the left and Leicester have Marcus Albrighton as another useful option out wide on the right but they can certainly do with more depth and quality in that area.
They brought in Rachid Ghezzal from Monaco last summer to add depth to their right-wing options but the Algerian hasn’t been able to acclimatise to the Premier League and someone like Bowen would be a viable alternative for a reasonable price.
Ricardo Pereira is more than capable of playing as an out-and-out winger, but given that the Portuguese has settled down at right-back, Rodgers shouldn’t experiment too much with him.
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To sum it up, Bowen has all the qualities to replicate his prolific form in the Premier League in due course of time and the 22-year-old would, indeed, be another fine addition to Leicester’s attack, as they aim for a return to the European stage under Brendan Rodgers.