Jarrod Bowen’s outstanding Championship form at Hull City appeared to be paving the way for a move to the Premier League with Newcastle United.
Newcastle United have performed a U-turn over a potential £20 million January move for Hull City star Jarrod Bowen, according to the Shields Gazette, because manager Steve Bruce wants midfielders rather than forwards.
Bowen is a player Bruce knows better than most. It was he who brought a little-known youngster to Humberside in 2014 from Hereford United and, five years on, the 22-year-old is establishing himself as one of the brightest young talents outside of the Premier League.
Bowen has scored 11 goals in the Championship this season, meaning he is already halfway to matching last season’s career-best total.
And with Newcastle’s alarming lack of cutting edge in the final third brutally exposed in Monday’s limp 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa, you’d think that Bruce would jump at the chance to reunite with one of the most in-form goalscorers in England right now.
According to the Shields Gazette, however, the Geordie gaffer wants Newcastle to focus on bringing in a midfielder or two instead with The Magpies backing away from the £20 million-rated Bowen. Why, however, is anyone’s guess.
With Joelinton failing to score for three months and with Dwight Gayle hardly a proven Premier League centre-forward, Newcastle are crying out for a goalscorer. They appear to be well stacked in the middle, however, with Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden, Ki Sung-Yeung and the Longstaff brothers all in Bruce’s ranks.
So Bruce’s decision takes some working out.
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