Michael Owen has weighed in on the growing debate over who should replace Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, naming his preferred option as the club prepare for life after their long-serving forward.
However, Jamie Carragher is not convinced by Owen’s choice, offering a contrasting opinion on what profile Liverpool should target instead.
Salah’s future has become a major talking point as Liverpool begin planning for a transition phase under Arne Slot, with the Egyptian’s output, influence, and long-term role all under increasing scrutiny.
With uncertainty surrounding how Liverpool will evolve in attack, discussion has turned towards potential successors who could fill the massive gap left by one of the club’s greatest-ever players.
Owen backs Jarrod Bowen as Salah replacement
Owen believes West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen would be the ideal candidate to step into Salah’s role at Anfield.
The former Liverpool striker was asked: “Jarrod Bowen, would you like to see him at Liverpool?”
Owen replied: “How did you know? I’ve said that to a couple of my mates the other day. I said if I had one player now, obviously Jarrod Bowen’s a legend of a player.
“West Ham, you know, they adore the man and rightly so. But if West Ham went down, yeah, he would fit for me. I think he’s absolutely brilliant.”
Bowen has been one of the most consistent attacking players in the Premier League in recent seasons, combining goals, creativity, and work rate from wide areas. His experience in the English top flight is seen by Owen as a key advantage in handling the pressure of replacing a player like Salah.
From Owen’s perspective, Bowen offers reliability and proven Premier League quality, which could make him a safer option compared to younger, less experienced alternatives.
Carragher questions the suitability of Bowen
Jamie Carragher, however, has pushed back against the idea of Liverpool moving for Bowen, arguing that age and long-term planning must be considered more heavily.
He said: “No, he [Bowen] was maybe on Liverpool’s radar under Jurgen Klopp early on.
“But obviously Mo Salah was already there. But no, he’d be too old for Liverpool.”
Carragher has previously suggested that Liverpool typically avoid signing players approaching 30 unless they are short-term fixes, with the club generally prioritising younger profiles with resale value and long-term potential.
Bowen’s age profile is therefore a sticking point in Carragher’s assessment, as Liverpool aim to build a squad that can compete at the highest level over several seasons rather than just in the short term.
