Brighton and Hove Albion are seemingly resigned to losing starlet Evan Ferguson despite his recent contract announcement.
The Republic of Ireland international signed an initial contract extension in April, which would’ve run until 2029, before opting to pen a fresh deal earlier in November that is now set to expire in June 2029. A release clause has not been included in the new terms.
Such news came as somewhat of a blow to those clubs – like Manchester United – targeting Ferguson, as his short-term future is now almost certainly tied to the Amex. However, they won’t be able to fend off European interest for too long, especially if the youngster is looking for a change of scenery anytime soon.
A self-proclaimed Red growing up, Ferguson is one player that the Old Trafford faithful would love to see lead the line in M16. He’s already regarded as one of the hottest prospects in world football and is in line to become one of the most in-demand strikers if his development continues its upward trajectory.
The 19-year-old has registered 11 Premier League goals since making the move from Bohemians in 2021 and it’s thought that the Seagulls would demand a record-breaking transfer fee if they were to sanction his exit in the near future.
They garnered a British record when selling Moises Caicedo to Chelsea over the summer for an eye-watering £115 million, so clubs better be ready to break the bank for Ferguson.
Brighton CEO on Ferguson’s potential exit
While Brighton will do everything in their power to keep hold of the frontman, it seems as though they’ve accepted that the day will come in which they have to let him go.
Their chief executive Paul Barber weighed in on the matter when speaking to Soccerex TV, stating (via Manchester Evening News): “At some point in the future, Evan’s gonna be playing at an even higher level if his trajectory continues as it is. We want to make sure that we do everything we can to prepare him for that – not just on the field, but off the field as well, give him as much support as we can.
“I think, as I said before, that the higher level we can play at, the more chance we’ve got of keeping our top players for longer. It doesn’t mean to say that we can keep them forever, because players will have their own ambitions of the club they want to play for, and the league they want to play in, and the competitions they want to perform in. And we have to be respectful of that.
“I believe that – and [Brighton chairman] Tony Bloom believes that – if we can actually show players clear pathways, not just through our club but also beyond our club, that will actually help us attract other younger players in the future to our club as well. Which is a good thing because that keeps our model moving. It keeps our cycle progressing and hopefully, it keeps us successful as well.”
