Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has hinted that Evan Ferguson could leave the club on loan this month if this is a move that can develop the young striker.
Ferguson, 20, has been linked with Arsenal and West Ham in recent times after struggling for minutes at Albion during an injury-interrupted season.
Arsenal appear to be increasingly in need of a new striker amid a growing injury crisis, while West Ham are also in dire need of reinforcements with Niclas Fullkrug, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen currently sidelined.
The Hammers appointed Graham Potter as their new head coach last week, with the ex-Brighton boss handing Ferguson his debut in 2022. And while Potter is said not to benefit from the interest earlier this week, incumbent Albion Hurzeler believes Irish striker Ferguson would could be loaned out to a club that can help him improve.
“We will negotiate what is important for him, what is important for his development, where he can best improve and then we will make the decision together,” Hurzeler said on Thursday ahead of Brighton's Premier League trip to Ipswich.
“This decision has to be the best for the player and the club. For example, we sent (Facundo) Buonanotte to Leicester.
“We know the Premier League is a good competition to improve in because it is tough and intense, especially for young players. It's the perfect environment to adapt.
“At the end of the day they want to play for Brighton and we want them to play for Brighton. So if they improve in the environment of the competition that we also play in, that is always very useful.
“So that's why I don't think about making the other teams better, it's more about what's best for the player.”
However, Arsenal's attempt to sign a player on loan this month is complicated by the fact that they already have the maximum two Premier League loanees on their books: Chelsea's Raheem Sterling and Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto.
Neither has featured much and it remains unclear whether the Gunners have the potential to end those deals early to bring in a new face for the remainder of a campaign that will see them continue to compete on four fronts.
Comments