Jarrod Bowen has shed light on the daunting challenge the club faced during the summer transfer window when attempting to fill the void left by the departure of Declan Rice, writes the WHZ. Rice made a high-profile move to London rivals Arsenal in a £105 million deal in June, bringing an end to his ten-year association with the Hammers.
West Ham invested the funds from Rice’s transfer to acquire the services of Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, both of whom wasted no time integrating themselves into the fabric of the London Stadium.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s “VIBE with FIVE” podcast, Bowen lauded the impact of Alvarez and Ward-Prowse in helping West Ham move forward without Rice. He acknowledged the difficulty of replacing a player of Rice’s caliber, given his contributions to both England and Arsenal, highlighting the midfielder’s undeniable quality.
Bowen stated, “I was gutted, but it was always the saga every window: ‘Was Dec going, was Dec not going?’ To replace Dec is impossible. You see what he does for England, what he’s doing for Arsenal – his quality speaks for itself, and he’s shown even more people what he can do.”
Despite the challenges, West Ham’s emphasis on signing the right individuals to fit into the dressing room culture has paid off. The manager has placed great importance on nurturing a cohesive atmosphere in the squad to achieve optimal results.
Bowen added, “But we have always bought the right people to fit the dressing room. The manager is really tight on that culture in the dressing room to bring out the best results. Who we have brought in, with Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, it looks like they have been there for five years. Everyone has made them feel so welcome. It’s a club which is easy to get into a group, which is why they have hit the ground running.”
In addition to the arrivals of Alvarez and Ward-Prowse, West Ham also utilized the transfer funds to secure the services of Mohammed Kudus and Konstantinos Mavropanos during the summer window. As the season progresses, the impact of these new acquisitions on West Ham’s campaign remains a subject of great interest for fans and observers alike.