Few Irish footballers have been the subject of as much transfer chatter as Meath's Evan Ferguson has been since it first emerged that he was in favour of a move away from the AMEX in Brighton.
The 21-year-old Irish forward shot to fame in the 2023 season when he took English and Irish football by storm, scoring ten goals in his opening Premier League season with the Seagulls and garnering valuations well in excess of 100 million pounds.
Despite his metaphoric rise to fame across the pond, an injury-plagued two seasons in the South of England has seen the Bettystown native fall out of favour in Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Irish forward was unfortunate to see an initially minor knee injury quickly followed up by a surgery-requiring ankle injury that limited his goal count to six last season and ultimately kept him out of action for much of 2024.
Now back at full fitness, Ferguson appears to be chomping at the bit to once again see regular Premier League minutes and get his career back on track, something which has become increasingly difficult in a Brighton side where both Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro have been in flying form.
10 September 2024; Evan Ferguson of Republic of Ireland during the UEFA Nations League B Group 2 match between Republic of Ireland and Greece at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
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Premier League side intensify pursuit of Evan Ferguson
While a number of Premier League clubs have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Evan Ferguson's services, according to reports from Callum O'Connell of Football Insider, Westham have accelerated their attempts to sign the 21-year-old following the loss of Michail Antonio to injury.
It is believed the club who were already monitoring Ferguson, have now increased their determination to earn his signature on a loan deal, following the loss of Antonio who underwent surgery for a lower limb fracture this weekend.
Although Westham may be keen to bring Ferguson to London, they could face stiff competition from a host of other interested parties that reportedly include Leicester, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Leeds.
Another potential stumbling block that might lie in the way of any potential move is Brighton's willingness to part with Ferguson. Just last week the club's CEO Paul Barber and manager Fabian Hurzeler refuted claims that the Irish man was available.
That said, with a clear path into the starting team and reports that Graham Potter is set to take over in Westham, the timing could be ideal for Ferguson who is seeking more game time.
So far this season, Ferguson has started just a single game from Brighton, appearing on nine other occasions from the bench and netting a single goal for his club.
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