Evan Ferguson - Top Irish Prospect

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

Signed a new long term contract at Brighton

https://x.com/theathleticfc/status/1722919248782119232?s=61

 

[UTAretro]

Second extension this year and third in the space of 13 months. Fantastic news - 2029!

 

[rimaldo]

Second extension this year and third in the space of 13 months. Fantastic news - 2019!

too much, too young, he’s really going to let himself go now.

 

[UTAretro]

too much, too young, he’s really going to let himself go now.

I’m not saying it can’t and hasn’t happened, but it would require a real 180 degree change in personality. He was already on a long, well paid contract - this new deal is simply for protecting his value and rewarding his progress with improved wages.

He has great and very grounded support around him, most notably from his father, who has kept him focused on improving and taking his career very seriously.

He’s by no means a finished article, but for his age and expectation he is coming along very nicely indeed in an excellent set up.

As I say, it can happen, and is why the club are managing his minutes and exposure so carefully. Worth remembering he is the first teenager to score over 10 PL goals in a calendar year since Rooney.

 

[MegadrivePerson]

too much, too young, he’s really going to let himself go now.

Before you know it he'll be married with a kid when he should be having fun.

 

[UTAretro]

Superb finish today from young Evan.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Six league goals already. 110 minutes per goal. That’s a seriously impressive return from someone so young.

 

[Thiagoal]

He’s just ice-cool when he gets an opportunity! Reminds me so much of Alan Shearer. It won’t be long before a large club comes calling and wouldn’t surprise me if it’s a club abroad

 

[Chumpsbechumps]

I’m not saying it can’t and hasn’t happened, but it would require a real 180 degree change in personality. He was already on a long, well paid contract - this new deal is simply for protecting his value and rewarding his progress with improved wages.

He has great and very grounded support around him, most notably from his father, who has kept him focused on improving and taking his career very seriously.

He’s by no means a finished article, but for his age and expectation he is coming along very nicely indeed in an excellent set up.

As I say, it can happen, and is why the club are managing his minutes and exposure so carefully. Worth remembering he is the first teenager to score over 10 PL goals in a calendar year since Rooney.

Totally agree.

He has a great support and comes from a humble backround that I think will stand to him.

Also, you seldom get the kind of arrogance in Irish players that English ones can get after being blown up as the greatest player ever before they’ve done anything.

 

[whitbyviking]

Potential for a Harry Kane contract situation here if he hasn’t got a reasonable buyout clause in there. Nothing against Brighton, but I don’t see them making the champions league or winning trophies and this kid has the potential to lead the line for teams at the top end of the league and champions league.

 

[Oranges038]

Superb touch and finish yesterday, even the little dummy before he set himself to shoot. He's just so calm in front of goal sometimes, almost like he just knows what to do to score.

Hopefully he's only going to get better and better. Exceptional talent.

 

[UTAretro]

Potential for a Harry Kane contract situation here if he hasn’t got a reasonable buyout clause in there. Nothing against Brighton, but I don’t see them making the champions league or winning trophies and this kid has the potential to lead the line for teams at the top end of the league and champions league.

Nobody has actually shown concrete interest - when they do and the fee is right (realistically, if he maintains his progression for another full season or more) then he’ll be onto pastures new.
I would imagine, based on the above coming to pass, his valuation will be one which very few clubs outside of Saudi Arabia can afford.

The fact is, much as it really pains some posters here, with the guy being Irish and a Manchester United fan, he keeps renewing and extending his contract because he is in a good environment, with great support behind him, and growing into life as an elite footballer and, yes, adulthood. In other words, he’s happy here for the time being, with 5 and a half years on his most recent contract.

I did notice this thread completely died once he signed until 2029 - but it doesn’t actually change anything as with Caicedo, Cucurella et al that we sold - when the fee is right for the club and the player is ready for a big move he’ll be off whether he has 2 or 20 years on his current deal.

 

[sullydnl]

Potential for a Harry Kane contract situation here if he hasn’t got a reasonable buyout clause in there. Nothing against Brighton, but I don’t see them making the champions league or winning trophies and this kid has the potential to lead the line for teams at the top end of the league and champions league.

Not really. Ferguson's newly signed contract runs out in June 2029, at which point he will still be just 24 years old. Unless he signs another contract beyond that he will leave Brighton at a young age regardless.

 

[Borninthe80ts]

He’s just ice-cool when he gets an opportunity! Reminds me so much of Alan Shearer. It won’t be long before a large club comes calling and wouldn’t surprise me if it’s a club abroad

Yeah he definitely has an old school striker vibe to him. It’s funny you say he could play abroad as it’s the goal scorers from 90s Serie A he reminds me of.

 

[Pexbo]

Not really. Ferguson's newly signed contract runs out in June 2029, at which point he will still be just 24 years old. Unless he signs another contract beyond that he will leave Brighton at a young age regardless.

This makes me feel so damn old. I was 24 in 2010 ffs. I swear I’m not much older than him.

 

[Pirlo'sBeard]

Going through a rough patch. Not sure De Zerbi's recent comments will help.

 

[Plant0x84]

Going through a rough patch. Not sure De Zerbi's recent comments will help.

Get him in Jimmy!

 

[duffer]

Get him in Jimmy!

You're not going to be in for him surely. Far too similar a profile of player to Hojlund to spend what Brighton would want.

 

[Plant0x84]

You're not going to be in for him surely. Far too similar a profile of player to Hojlund to spend what Brighton would want.

Probably not but would make for an exciting striker rotation.

 

[Red Star One]

His fitness is a big issue. On the latest Football Manager he has all the potential but never almost never manages to play 90 minutes never mind a couple of games in a row. I thought it was a bit exaggerated to give him such a terribly low fitness stats but in fact this season he doesn't look any more solid physically than a year ago. Lad still has time but to be the top of the top he needs to improve fast

 

[Pogue Mahone]

His fitness is a big issue. On the latest Football Manager he has all the potential but never almost never manages to play 90 minutes never mind a couple of games in a row. I thought it was a bit exaggerated to give him such a terribly low fitness stats but in fact this season he doesn't look any more solid physically than a year ago. Lad still has time but to be the top of the top he needs to improve fast

Football Manager stats aside, what evidence have you seen that his fitness is a big issue? Last season he got a nasty injury when Fabinho tried to break his leg but other than that he’s not had anything more than the usual niggles, as far as I can tell. His big issue this season has been not getting selected, rather than not being available for selection.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

De Zerbi doesn't fancy him at the moment, for whatever reason. I get managing game time when he's still a kid but he was dropped the game after his hat-trick against Newcastle. It's weird.

 

[UTAretro]

The issue with Ferguson right now is he looks bereft of confidence - and has done really since a shocking foul from Fabinho last season which left him injured. He’s had the occasional good game since (Newcastle hattrick) but always seems to be in the wrong place when a cross comes in, goes far post when he should go near post and vice-versa etc. Just the classic “out of form” striker stuff. He isn’t getting chances, so isn’t missing them, he just doesn’t look like scoring.

He has massive potential and in truth is being relied on too much for such a young player. Despite his form (no goals in 16-17 games now, and hardly any xG in that period) we are so bare bones up front he’s been forced to play more than he should. With another senior striker at the club, he’d be used a lot less to manage his development in training and the gym, rather than keeping him fit for matches.

His won’t be going anywhere until next summer at the very earliest - and even then only if he re-finds his form to attract a much bigger club willing to pay his fee. A bad run of form isn’t going to knock loads off his value - a few goals and he’s back where he was asset wise.

Right now, Welbeck is a better more well-rounded striker in our system and Ferguson has lots of learning to do to match his levels of workrate, build up play and transitional play in the middle of the park.

What Ferguson does have is a keen eye for goal and undoubted quality - I get the feeling he is a confidence player and when it hits a purple patch again the floodgates will open.

Right now he’s got to earn it, and frankly his performances in the last few months in particular haven’t.

 

[Orange Tree]

Played for new contract. Would fit in here well.

 

[Pirlo'sBeard]

De Zerbi doesn't fancy him at the moment, for whatever reason. I get managing game time when he's still a kid but he was dropped the game after his hat-trick against Newcastle. It's weird.

I think he actually went off injured in that game.

 

[CallyRed]

What did de Zerbi say about him?

 

[UTAretro]

What did de Zerbi say about him?

De Zerbi said: "He is good but is not spending the best period of his time.

“We can help him and we can understand him because he is very young. He can play better. The team needs Evan, but Evan at 100% of his physical and mental condition.

"He played well but in small spaces in the last ten or twenty minutes I thought Adam Lallana could be more important than Evan."

 

[V.O.]

De Zerbi doesn't fancy him at the moment, for whatever reason. I get managing game time when he's still a kid but he was dropped the game after his hat-trick against Newcastle. It's weird.

De Zerbi does that with every single one of their players apart from the two centre halves and Gross. Just mass rotation for the sake of rotation, seemingly regardless of form. One of the main reasons I wouldn't want him here, he'd drive us up the wall with that very quickly.

Pretty sure he tosses a coin to decide which keeper is playing this week.

 

[P-Ro]

On the latest football manager Ferguson and his national team failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2026. Make of it what you will.

 

[UTAretro]

De Zerbi does that with every single one of their players apart from the two centre halves and Gross.

And Gilmour, Mitoma and Adingra. We’ve also been wrecked with injuries this season, leading players to come back and struggle for form - Estupinan for example has been dropped because he’s been poor since his return.

Agree about the goalkeepers though, I’d much prefer a permanent first choice number one.

 

[UTAretro]

De Zerbi doesn't fancy him at the moment, for whatever reason. I get managing game time when he's still a kid but he was dropped the game after his hat-trick against Newcastle. It's weird.

He was injured.

 

[CallyRed]

De Zerbi said: "He is good but is not spending the best period of his time.

“We can help him and we can understand him because he is very young. He can play better. The team needs Evan, but Evan at 100% of his physical and mental condition.

"He played well but in small spaces in the last ten or twenty minutes I thought Adam Lallana could be more important than Evan."

Thank you

 

[Red Star One]

Football Manager stats aside, what evidence have you seen that his fitness is a big issue? Last season he got a nasty injury when Fabinho tried to break his leg but other than that he’s not had anything more than the usual niggles, as far as I can tell. His big issue this season has been not getting selected, rather than not being available for selection.

Well, first you have his manager going out publicly and saying Evan needs to be at 100% physically, so I guess one could take it as evidence that his fitness is an issue. It took him a long while to return last year with the ankle injury you mentioned, he started the season well but after the Newcastle game and not even such a major knee injury (but recurring it seems) there he never returned to top form again. Since that September injury he only completed 90 minutes thrice for Brighton, much less than a few of their other attackers - even if De Zerbi is a big rotating guy and Ferguson still young, there's been so many of the games where he was subbed early or just given less minutes than you'd think.
Also, FM doesn't conjure the stats out of this air, I just referred to it because I thought Ferguson was unfairly judged much less naturally fit than a couple as talented players in his age group, and hearing De Zerbi comments perhaps they were not so wrong.

De Zerbi doesn't fancy him at the moment, for whatever reason. I get managing game time when he's still a kid but he was dropped the game after his hat-trick against Newcastle. It's weird.

He was injured by Bruno G. in that game, after he scored a hat-trick. Or more precisely I think it was a tendon injury he was already carrying that was exacerbated.

 

[FootballHQ]

That typical difficult second season in premier league for any young player. Worth remembering he's only been playing top level football for just over a year.

He will be back. Think Spurs have been mentioned eventually and think that could make plenty of sense but he needs to get scoring again soon.

 

[The Irish Connection]

There was a lot of hype around him. Still has a long way to go, but age is on his side.
Obviously I hope he fulfills the potential for Ireland, but I’m not sure I see the ‘superstar’ in him.

 

[Woziak]

You're not going to be in for him surely. Far too similar a profile of player to Hojlund to spend what Brighton would want.

19 year old starts from the bench is a development player with huge potential but his stats this year 31 games 6 goals 1 assist, on what planet do teams not understand that paying over he top fees will not happen any more, Chelsea can’t go back into Europe because if they do they will get a transfer ban, that’s why even if they qualify for Conference Leagie they would rather take the 1 year ban. No one is paying £100m for Evan Ferguson unless he starts scoring 1 in 2 not 1 in 5, United should be looking at £40m Benjamin Sesko and £40m Santiago Gimenez or Joshua Zirkzee?

 

[lsd]

He's no Adam Idah is he?

 

[UTAretro]

19 year old starts from the bench is a development player with huge potential but his stats this year 31 games 6 goals 1 assist, on what planet do teams not understand that paying over he top fees will not happen any more, Chelsea can’t go back into Europe because if they do they will get a transfer ban, that’s why even if they qualify for Conference Leagie they would rather take the 1 year ban. No one is paying £100m for Evan Ferguson unless he starts scoring 1 in 2 not 1 in 5, United should be looking at £40m Benjamin Sesko and £40m Santiago Gimenez or Joshua Zirkzee?

I completely agree, yet that is the fee we’ll ask for, hence my conviction he won’t go anywhere for a while until either his form justifies the fee we’ll demand or someone pays regardless. I’d certainly take Sesko at £40-£60m rather than Ferguson at £80-100m

 

[Bojan Djordjic]

You're not going to be in for him surely. Far too similar a profile of player to Hojlund to spend what Brighton would want.

In what way do you think he's like Hojlund aside from being young? I don't see them as being similar in style at all.

 

[duffer]

In what way do you think he's like Hojlund aside from being young? I don't see them as being similar in style at all.

They're both raw, promising centre forwards who are about 3 months apart in age. That's what I meant by "similar profile of player".

You're not going to going for Ferguson for the kind of money Brighton will want. Not a chance.