Evan Ferguson could be given the green light to make a shock loan move to Fulham in the upcoming transfer window.
The highly rated Brighton striker, 20, has no shortage of suitors in the Premier League after emerging as one of the top prospects for the Seagulls in recent years. Manchester United are among the clubs known to be long-term admirers of the Irishman.
Although Ferguson has been linked with a successful move in the past, he has struggled to find regular playing time for Brighton this season and has made just two league starts.
That has fueled hopes among some of his admirers that he will be available in January, albeit only on loan. And Fulham are set to join forces in a bid to bring Ferguson to Craven Cottage in the new year.
As first revealed by The Independent, Fulham feel they can offer Ferguson regular football as they push for a European place under Marco Silva.
The Londoners lost their leading marksman, Aleksandr Mitrovic, to Saudi Arabia this summer and neither Raul Jimenez nor Rodrigo Muniz have managed to establish themselves as the club's outright first choice this season.
They believe a settlement could save all parties as Ferguson has fallen down the pecking order at Brighton after missing the start of the season following an injury lay-off.
Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro are the club's two highest scorers this season and have featured regularly under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler, with Brighton currently just four points clear of fourth-placed Nottingham Forest.
Ferguson has long been admired by Manchester United and in the summer it was claimed that the Red Devils were set to test the waters at Brighton with a £50m bid for Ferguson towards the end of the transfer window. However, it remains to be seen whether the striker is still a United target in the future.
United have been heavily linked with a move for Viktor Gyokeres – the striker who was Ruben Amorim's star player at Sporting Lisbon – although they are not expected to attempt to sign a striker until next summer.
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