After scouting him in 2018, Everton well and truly missed out on player who’s since made 111 goal contributions

Add as preferred source on Google

Plenty of poor signings were made at Everton under former owner Farhad Moshiri – but one player who never came now looks like a glaring oversight.

Everton supporters are looking forward to better times now under new owners The Friedkin Group.

Farhad Moshiri ran the club poorly during his almost nine-year tenure, making ill-advised managerial appointments and presiding over a questionable transfer strategy.

So it was a huge relief when TFG came in, and supporters now hope the new American owners will operate in a much more savvy way.

Player recruitment and scouting are going to be absolutely key for TFG, as they bid to restore this great club to its former glories.

Everton need to act with conviction once a player has been identified, which is not something the club did with one Jarrod Bowen – a player who has absolutely thrived at West Ham United since he went there.

• READ MORE: The chances of John Stones making sensational return to Everton as Manchester City green light exit

Everton scouted Jarrod Bowen in 2018 before eventual West Ham transfer

In a parallel universe, Bowen might have been turning out as an Everton player today.

The Mirror reported in late 2018, when Bowen was still at Hull City, that Everton were actually on the player’s tail.

He was valued at around £10 million at the time, and a number of clubs were looking at him, including Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, plus Leeds United.

In the end, Bowen didn’t actually leave Hull until January 2020, one year after that claim about Everton being interested.

He transferred to West Ham, with the Irons paying around £22 million (Independent).

While that fee was double what he was valued just one year prior, it is now safe to say that West Ham snagged an absolute bargain with Bowen.

• READ MORE: Everton said no to signing him for £16m in 2019, now he’s worth £100m and wanted by Arsenal

111 G/A later, Bowen will be uncomfortable viewing for Everton

Bowen made headlines once again at the weekend, as he scored for West Ham in their 1-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The star has now provided 12 goal contributions in 24 appearances this season (eight goals, four assists), which is an impressive return considering the collective struggles of the team.

And this is not a one-off season for Bowen – he has been performing to these kinds of levels for years.

That goal against Arsenal took him onto 68 in total for the club. He has also provided 43 assists, meaning 111 goal contributions overall since his arrival at West Ham five years ago.

Those are remarkable numbers, from a player who just seems to be going from strength to strength.

Not only that, Bowen also helped West Ham to win the Europa Conference League in 2023, scoring the winning goal in the final right at the end against Fiorentina, as David Moyes watched on as manager from the sidelines.

Since Everton’s failure to sign him, Bowen has also racked up 14 caps for England, and also become club captain at West Ham.

There were a lot of decisions made on Moshiri’s watch that Everton fans hated.

But the decision not to push harder to sign Bowen looks like yet another major oversight from the former owner, and hopefully, there won’t be any similar cases of this happening under the Friedkins.