West Ham United have won the race to sign Evan Ferguson from Brighton after a loan deal was agreed between the two clubs.
West Ham have been jostling to sign Ferguson throughout the winter window amid interest from other Premier League clubs and teams in Europe.
Telegraph Sport understands the 20-year-old is now set to move to the London Stadium on a loan deal until the end of this season and that he will undergo a medical on Sunday.
Ferguson has been dealing with injury in recent weeks and made his first appearance since Dec 21 when he came on as a substitute in Brighton’s remarkable 7-0 thrashing by Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The move to West Ham, assuming he passes his medical, will reunite the centre-forward with Graham Potter, his former manager at Brighton.
Potter signed Ferguson for Brighton in 2021 and was the coach who gave the Republic of Ireland international his debut in English football. Telegraph Sport reported last week that Potter’s previous work with Ferguson could give West Ham an advantage in the race for his signature.
West Ham have been in the market for a striker following injuries to Michail Antonio, who was involved in a road traffic accident, and German striker Niclas Fullkrug. In last weekend’s draw with Aston Villa, Potter deployed midfielder Lucas Paqueta as a striker.
Brighton were willing to sell Ferguson on a permanent basis this winter as he is behind Joao Pedro, Danny Welbeck and Georginio Rutter in the pecking order under Fabian Hurzeler.
A loan move could help to reignite the youngster’s career, though, and perhaps raise his transfer value ahead of the summer. Ferguson was once one of the most highly-rated young forwards in the Premier League but fitness issues have contributed to a loss of form since he scored 10 goals in the 2022-23 campaign.
Villa draw shows why West Ham need a No 9
West Ham’s draw at Villa Park was an illustration of why Graham Potter is looking for a striker during the January transfer window.
In an added twist to the 1-1 result, they were playing against Jhon Durán after submitting a £57 million bid for the Aston Villa striker last week. However, Durán has completed a £65 million move to Saudi Arabia; the Columbian joins Al Nasser, the club Cristiano Ronaldo plays for.
Potter’s team earned a result against a Champions League side but it could have been maximum points with a No 9 in their team. Lucas Paquetá led their attack and held the ball up well for his team-mates, but he is clearly more effective with a striker he can link with.
Potter sent out a mish-mash team because of injuries, with four full-backs starting and Paquetá in the ‘false nine’ role. Emerson’s goal came from the makeshift system functioning, as he headed in at the far post after drifting in from left wing-back.
Why is Ferguson so attractive
As the rejected Duran bid shows, strikers available on the market are very rare, or unaffordable. Arsenal would benefit from a striker but they cannot add another Premier League loan unless they change the status of Raheem Sterling or Neto.
They have been linked with Dusan Vlahovic, whose mixed time Juventus suggests he would be a risk. RB Leipzig are reluctant to sell Benjamin Sesko. Brentford’s Yoane Wissa has been watched by clubs.
But Brighton’s Evan Ferguson on a six-month loan would be perfect for both clubs. He needs games under his belt and clubs need a No 9. At 20, he looks to have a huge future in the Premier League but could do with regular games in the coming months.
What is Potter’s view?
The West Ham manager was happy with Paquetá’s performance and is hopeful he has not suffered an injury when he pulled up in the final stages.
“Lucas was man of the match so he contributed from an attacking perspective to our play. I don’t think it is totally obvious that you replace him with a more conventional centre-forward and our team performance is any better or worse,” said Potter.
