Reports by The Athletic earlier in the week claimed Jarrod Bowen has received a significant pay rise as a reward for his encouraging first year at West Ham United, who appear to have struck a dream deal in their 2020 acquisition of the former Hull City forward.

Bowen is understood to have been gifted a lucrative increase to his £96,000-per-week, five-year contract that already placed the 24-year-old among the top-three earners of those currently at the London Stadium.

The pay rise was triggered by Bowen reaching 30 appearances in claret and blue, which he met on New Year’s Day when earning his 16th start of the Premier League season as David Moyes’ men claimed a 1-0 win at top-four chasing Everton.

His more lucrative terms are not said to have extended the length of time that Bowen is tied down at the London Stadium, but will serve to show West Ham’s commitment to a player who is fast becoming a key figure of the young and hungry side Moyes is aiming to build.

Bowen’s performances alone would soon have seen the £25m-rated maestro deserve improved terms, anyway, in the eyes of former Premier League striker Gabriel Agbonlahor.

“I like the way he runs at people. He can dribble with the ball, he can cut inside off that right-hand side. For me, he’s a quality player,” he told Football Insider. “The pay rise he’s got he deserves because he’s been outstanding this season.

“I’m sure now he just wants to get a few more goals and assists now to back up these great performances because he’s definitely going to be a star.”

Bowen is currently West Ham’s most productive player in the Premier League this season after scoring four goals and providing two assists in his 17 outings thus far.

Only Tomas Soucek (5) has scored more often, while Aaron Cresswell leads the charts in east London for goals created (4) in top-flight fixtures ahead of the Hammers’ meeting with relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday.

West Ham’s decision to spend £22m to take Bowen out of the Championship a year ago has certainly proven to be a dream deal thanks to the winger’s Premier League efforts, which have seen the 24-year-old bring more than his goals and assists to the London Stadium.

Bowen was already a proven goal threat in the second-tier 52 goals over two-and-a-half seasons, but the way he has taken to driving at opposition players, like Agbonlahor lauds, is what has helped ensure his move paid off.

The Leominster-born attacker ranks joint-15th among all Premier League players this season for accurate crosses, with 17 of his deliveries finding an Irons player in the box. Bowen's tally is just six less than that achieved by Manchester City’s £108m-rated Kevin de Bruyne and four fewer than Tottenham Hotspur’s £81m-rated Heung-Min Son, per SofaScore.

Bowen has also won 52 ground duels and counting this term, enough to rank fourth at West Ham in a close-fought contest to be the Hammers’ best player with Declan Rice (56), Vladimir Coufal (55) and Soucek (53).

Only Soucek (28) and now-AFC Ajax striker Sebastien Haller (23) have attempted more shots than Bowen (19) to date, while trailing only Cresswell (26) and Coufal (19) for key passes (15) having fashioned the most clear-cut chances to score (4) so far this season.

Take away Bowen’s position on the right-flank, then, and Moyes’ side instantly loses much of its threat in the final-third and direct attacking output, which West Ham were able to acquire for what could easily be regarded as a bargain sum 12-months on.

AND in other news: Exclusive: West Ham’s Declan Rice tipped to join Chelsea on one condition.