Manchester City interested in Brighton's Evan Ferguson (1 Viewer)

Manchester City is among several clubs currently exploring the possibility of acquiring Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson. This 18-year-old talent has rapidly emerged as one of the brightest prospects in the Premier League since his professional debut with the Seagulls in August 2021.

Ferguson, who had previously excelled at the Under-21 level with 18 goals in 39 games, made a significant impact during his first full season with Brighton in 2022-23. He contributed with 10 goals and three assists in 25 senior appearances. Nominated for the 2022-23 PFA Young Player of the Year award, Ferguson's impressive start to the new campaign includes four goals in as many Premier League matches, including a remarkable hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United. This achievement has made him only the fourth player aged 18 or younger to score three goals in a single Premier League game.

On the international stage, the Republic of Ireland youngster has also left a mark, with two goals in six appearances since his debut in November of the previous year. Naturally, Ferguson's rapid ascent to the senior level has garnered significant attention from top European clubs, who may intensify their interest in the striker in 2024.

As reported by inews, treble winners Manchester City, along with most other Champions League contenders in the Premier League, are closely monitoring Ferguson's progress. Earlier this year, reports indicated that both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have expressed long-standing interest in the Irish talent, and Arsenal has also been linked.

While Manchester City may view Ferguson as a potential long-term replacement for Erling Haaland, who is reportedly a target for Real Madrid, there are currently no immediate concerns about Haaland's future. The club is said to be planning a lucrative new contract offer of approximately £550,000 per week for the Norwegian striker.

Nevertheless, luring Ferguson away from Brighton, who are preparing for their inaugural Europa League campaign, could prove to be a challenging endeavor. CEO Paul Barber recently stated that Brighton has no intentions of considering the sale of the young striker for at least another five years. Speaking to talkSPORT about Ferguson's future, Barber commented:

"In Evan's case, it'll be in at least five years' time. Ultimately, the technical staff are making the key decisions on where a player is in his development, whether he needs more first-team games or needs to go on loan or if we need to trade earlier or later.
"Ultimately, it's going to be a collective decision but it's driven by the technical staff and we're relying on them to make those judgements regarding the players' development.

"There are times when it's better for us to keep a player in and around our first-team group, training with us and getting the odd first team appearance from the bench or in cup games, while on other occasions it's better for them to go out on loan in Europe. For others, it's better for them to stay in this country and be somewhere where we can keep a far closer eye on them.

"For those decisions, Tony [Bloom] and I leave them to the technical staff and we only really get involved when we get to the financial decisions and where we go next.

"It's a combined effort, it's a team effort and we're as much of a team off the pitch as we are on it and Tony and I both believe that we've got to work collaboratively and effectively, but ultimately, Roberto De Zerbi is making the big calls when it comes to the playing squad."