Graham Potter may give West Ham edge in pursuit of Evan Ferguson – and why they need a No 9
Graham Potter’s previous work with Evan Ferguson may give West Ham an advantage in the race to sign the Brighton striker amid interest from Germany.
Potter signed Ferguson in 2021 while he was at the Amex Stadium and gave him a debut in English football before his move to manage Chelsea. He is now in the market for a striker at West Ham and is interested in Ferguson should he be made available for a loan during the January transfer window.
Ferguson, 20, is returning from an ankle injury and Brighton will make a decision on whether he is allowed to leave for six months, which will be dependent on their own injury situation among forwards, with Danny Welbeck, João Pedro and Georginio Rutter other attacking options.
It is understood there is genuine interest from the Bundesliga in a loan for Ferguson, while Bournemouth would also welcome the Republic of Ireland international. Fulham are long-term admirers of Ferguson, as are Arsenal but they have used up their two Premier League loans on Raheem Sterling and Neto. Tottenham have had Dominic Solanke sidelined and could look at forwards in the final days of the window.
Potter is in the market for a striker after Michail Antonio suffered a road-traffic accident and Jarrod Bowen has also been injured recently. In the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Sunday he played Lucas Paqueta as a ‘false nine’.
Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler revealed last week that he was due to talk with Ferguson before a decision is made on the second half of the season.
He said: “It’s very important that we talk about these things internally, that we know the player’s view. Of course, we see his potential, but it is also important that he gets enough game time to develop and to improve.”
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. The offer was almost immediately rejected by Villa and it may take £80 million for a club to sign him, with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia preparing a deal.
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.
Is Duran deal alive?
Villa rejected the £57 million offer from West Ham almost immediately but Unai Emery suggested it was difficult for his striker to focus following the offers.
“Some circumstances, of course, they are not helping us to focus 100 per cent. Jhon Durán is our player and I want him here,” said the Villa manager.
