Newcastle United’s pursuit of top young talent continues, with reports claiming that they are now keeping an eye on Brighton and Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson.
Ferguson has already been compared to Alan Shearer, and according to The Mirror, Newcastle is keeping an eye on his progress at Brighton with the goal of bringing him to Tyneside to see if he can fulfill that promise at the club that holds Shearer in such high regard.
The Magpies aren’t the only ones interested in Ferguson; Tottenham and Chelsea are also interested.
Brighton manager Robert De Zerbi praised Ferguson as ‘fantastic’ after he became the Premier League’s second youngest player to score and assist in a single game since Michael Owen in 1997. On the same night, he became the youngest player since Federico Macheda in 2009 to score in two consecutive Premier League games.
This season, he has three goals and two assists in just seven appearances. What’s more, he has yet to play a full 90-minute game, so all of his goals and assists have come as a substitute or before being hooked.
Ferguson joined Brighton from Irish club Bohemians in 2021 at the age of 16 and has made a name for himself quickly. He’s already had senior international experience with the Republic of Ireland. Brighton will be desperate to keep him at the Amex for the foreseeable future, but with the big boys circling, it may be difficult.
While Chelsea and Tottenham are hoping to entice the youngster to join them, Newcastle have a secret weapon in Dan Ashworth. Ferguson will be familiar to the former Brighton sporting director, who was in charge when he moved from Bohemians.
While having Dan Ashworth’s influence will be beneficial, one potential stumbling block could be the fee. Although no figure has been given, it would be foolish to believe that any potential suitor could complete this transaction on the cheap.
Ferguson’s contract at Brighton doesn’t expire until 2026, so there’s no reason for them to cash in, which means they’ll be able to demand their own fee based on what they believe he’s worth, which, given his early performances, could be a sizable sum. Keep in mind that Bristol City paid £25 million for Alex Scott, a similar age and playing in the same league as Ferguson.
Newcastle already has Garang Kuol in the pipeline as an exciting striker prospect, but it never hurts to have depth, and given Ferguson’s Premier League experience, he could find himself in a black and white shirt ahead of Kuol if he signs.
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