Ismaila Sarr jumps for the ball with Evan Ferguson. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Brighton and Hove Albion will allow £60m-rated Evan Ferguson to leave in the January transfer window, and Leicester have emerged as a potential destination.
The Foxes are currently 17th in the Premier League table and just two points above the relegation places.
Given how they and fellow top-flight side, Southampton, are struggling this season, it points to the gap between the first and second tiers of English football getting ever larger.
Leicester want to sign Evan Ferguson on loan in January
Ruud van Nistelrooy has already outlined his transfer plans for the club, and according to TeamTalk sources, that includes a loan move for 20-year-old Ferguson, who appears to have fallen out of favour with Seagulls manager, Fabian Hurzeler.
The Telegraph (subscription required) note the player’s value of £60m, though there’s no suggestion at this stage that Brighton are willing to cash in via a permanent sale.
With a playmaker also set for a sensational return to the King Power Stadium, van Nistelrooy could significantly beef up his playing squad for the important second half of the 2024/25 campaign.
For Ferguson, a move would represent the opportunity to show Hurzeler what he’s missing out on by keeping the striker on the bench.
So far this season, the forward has played just 215 minutes across 16 Premier League games for his new manager (transfermarkt), and that’s clearly not enough for player or club.
Rather than contemplate another half-season being either stuck on the bench or given cursory minutes every so often, Ferguson will want to be given the chance to shine – as much for his international as club ambitions.
The likelihood of being installed as Leicester’s main striker is high too, given that Jamie Vardy, whilst still knowing where the net is, isn’t getting any younger.
If Ferguson can score the goals that move the Foxes away from the relegation places too, it could be a move that works for all parties.