Manchester City have eyes on Evan Ferguson, who will be going nowhere in January.
After joining Brighton and Hove Albion from Irish club Bohemian, the 18-year-old has burst onto the scene after enjoying a promising campaign in the Premier League last term, scoring six goals and registering two assists in 10 league starts.
The youngster has commenced the new campaign brilliantly, scoring his first senior hat-trick against Newcastle United in the last game just before the international break.
Unsurprisingly, the vultures are already circling and several big clubs are once again lining up to give Brighton a humungous transfer fee. City are reportedly one of them.
Recently, it was suggested that City were monitoring Ferguson but if the club felt like swooping in January then they can probably forget about it.
Tony Bloom pretty adamant the Seagulls will be keeping the teenager for the whole of 2023/24.
He said (via Irish Independent): “I don’t like to do much business in January.
“I can’t foresee any of our main players being sold in January. We just don’t do that. I’m not saying certain players might not be sold but none of our main players.”
Bloom and Brighton’s stance is completely understandable. The club were never likely to sign Ferguson in the next window, but at least it sounds like Brighton won’t be selling him to anyone, not just City.
We will see if City fancy swooping next summer. He’ll likely be extremely expensive, but perhaps it’s something Txiki Begiristain and Pep Guardiola will talk about.
The prospect of Ferguson and Haaland playing in a partnership together is bound to be very tempting.
Though nowhere near the same calibre just yet, Ferguson is earning comparisons to Erling Haaland thanks to his physicality and clinical edge in the box.
He is the latest in a resurging breed of pure No.9s and if his development continues at the same rate, would make an obvious replacement for Haaland.
Knowing Brighton, he is likely to cost over £100m but if City are forced into the striker market in the heartbreaking event of Haaland’s departure, Ferguson is shaping up to be a worthy contingency plan.
