In order to earnestly kick-start a new era for West Ham United, impending majority shareholder Daniel Kretinsky felt an important matter needed to be addressed.Following the club’s relegation to the Championship for the first time since 2011, Kretinsky urgently needed to convince club captain Jarrod Bowen to lead their promotion push. The 29-year-old travelled to Prague in the Czech Republic to hold talks with Kretinsky and his right-hand man, Jiri Svarc, a prominent figure behind the scenes.Sources briefed on discussions, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say Svarc played a leading role in the negotiations, with Bowen committing his immediate future by signing a revised contract. As reported previously, the deal does not extend beyond its expiration of 2030, which Bowen signed initially in October 2023, but signals his commitment for the upcoming season.A release clause has been inserted in his contract, which kicks in next summer if West Ham fail to seal promotion. A promotion incentive would also see the winger receive a significant bonus for the club’s immediate return to the top flight.“The main motivation is staying and bringing this club back to the Premier League where we belong,” Bowen said in a video posted West Ham’s official X account. “I feel like we’re moving in the right direction as a club. There’s a lot of thinking time over the summer, and a lot of things that go in your head. But I look in years and years to come of when I retire, what’s going to bring me the most happiness. For me, now that’s getting this club back into the Premier League.“I flew out to Prague in the Czech Republic to meet Daniel and Jiri, and the ambition that I got from them, certainly in terms of the direction the club wants to move in, it interests me a lot. It didn’t take a lot (to convince me) because this club means a lot to me.”