How good is Evan Ferguson? The 18-year-old Brighton star wanted by Man Utd and Tottenham

Premier League side Brighton can lay claim to some of English football’s most impressive, young talents but few seem to be garnering as much attention as Irish striker Evan Ferguson. Fresh off the back of an impressive season with the Seagulls, Ferguson recently signed a contract extension with the club that is now set to run until 2028. But whether the 18-year-old talent will still be at the club by then is certainly up for debate. 

Market Value

E. Ferguson Centre-Forward

€10.00m

Indeed, some of Europe’s biggest clubs have been linked with a move for the young forward in the summer transfer window and it’s easy to see why. After making the step up to the Seagull’s first team this season, Ferguson has been nothing short of a revelation in the Premier League and has quickly been tipped as one of the English top-flight’s most promising young players. In no time at all, Ferguson’s market value has shot up from €600k at the start of the season to where it now stands at €10 million, making him the fourth most valuable player in the Premier League under the age of 19. 

The most valuable Premier League players under the age of 19

Which of these stars has the most potential? pic.twitter.com/yrtybTjkb1

— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) April 5, 2023

How good is Evan Ferguson? 

Standing tall at 1.83 metres (6 ft 0), Ferguson is unquestionably a call back to a previous era of powerful No.9s that dominated the opposing box in the air and with the strength to hold off defenders on the ground too. And that has meant an impressive goal return since he started making his way through the ranks at Brighton. In the club’s U-21 squad Ferguson bagged no less than 18 goals and three assists, which quickly led to him getting called up to the first team by Graham Potter in the 21/22 season. 

Although Ferguson only made a handful of first team appearances in that season, he came on leaps and bounds in the following campaign. Which has now seen the young striker bag no less than 10 goals and four assists in 27 appearances for the club. When we break that down into the player’s average performance for the club, it works out at a very impressive 0.96 goals and assists per 90 for Roberto De Zerbi’s side. Which, in no uncertain terms, is a remarkable return for any player at a Premier League club, let alone one that is only 18 years of age. 

Who wants to sign Evan Ferguson?

Due to Ferguson’s impressive ability to take to the Premier League like a duck to water, it was only a matter of time before the young Irish talent found his name linked to some of the biggest names in English football. According to Sky Sports, both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have earmarked the Brighton star as a strong candidate to lead their front lines in the years to come. However, should Ferguson make the move to Old Trafford, it may be somewhat bittersweet considering the manner in which the player once played for Man Utd’s youth academy and was allowed to leave before realising his potential. As such, the club’s academy director Nick Cox reportedly labelled the striker as a ”£50m-plus mistake”, after he slipped through the Red Devils’ fingers.