The vultures are circling around West Ham United, of which Man Utd are one, and they will be on high alert as a fire sale takes shape.
In one of the more surprising developments of the season, a good West Ham squad saw their Premier League status get washed away.
Relegation will have damning effects on their squad, which is largely too good to suffer that fate, which means a fire sale is on the horizon.
Man Utd are interested and have been linked to multiple Hammers players, and one of them has appeared to set the ball rolling with an exit message.
What is the maximum fee Man Utd should realistically pay for West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes? 💰
Does the potential transfer depend on West Ham getting relegated?
Man Utd will watch Jarrod Bowen’s situation closely
Upon the confirmation of relegation, Jarrod Bowen was among the players who professed their loyalty to the club.
However, just a few days after, the winger/forward has seemed to hint at a potential departure in his Instagram message.
Bowen spoke like a player who felt sorry for the relegation, but appeared to effectively say good luck to the club because he won’t be there to face the consequences.
At 29, Bowen is unlikely to be happy with playing a season in the Championship, especially if Premier League clubs are interested.
He seems to have realised that and sent the following message to West Ham United fans.
He said: “It’s hard to post something like this when all you’re feeling is embarrassment and pain. I could write loads trying to explain where it all went wrong this season, but honestly what you deserve from me is an apology.
“Winning that trophy in Prague was the best night of my career. Sunday was the worst. We just weren’t good enough. Simple as that. And that’s why the season ended the way it did.
“To the fans, you didn’t let us down once. The support home and away never changed, even when things weren’t good enough from us on the pitch. We should have given you more. You deserved more.
“One thing I know about this club is that it has the desire and fight to bounce back from this. This club belongs in the Premier League and deserves to be back there as soon as possible.”
That last paragraph is effectively as close to a goodbye and good luck as it can possibly be without writing it explicitly.
Man Utd will be on high alert because they could have multiple eggs in the West Ham basket now.
Bowen could start fire sale with Mateus Fernandes in sight
Bowen is a leader in the West Ham dressing room, so if he’s setting the tone by talking like this, it is effectively a given that more will follow.
Debate: Mateus Fernandes is the best midfield signing Man United can make this summer
Is the Portuguese international being underrated?
United are interested in Mateus Fernandes, and he wants to join, so Bowen’s message could accelerate that deal.
One thing United will also need to be aware of is how quickly they get to West Ham’s players, because the club’s resolve will tighten once they offload a few players.
It would be in their best interest to snap up Fernandes quickly, before other players leave, because the Hammers will be more conducive to doing business in that situation.
Perhaps a cheeky double bid for both Fernandes and Bowen could be good, given Bowen’s experience, Premier League pedigree, and versatility in the forward line.
Either way, Bowen seems to have set the ball rolling on a fire sale at West Ham this summer, and United will have to decide how many they go for.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
