West Ham United’s pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson has encountered significant obstacles, making the transfer increasingly unlikely. Ferguson, a 20-year-old Irish forward, has struggled for game time this season under Brighton’s new manager, Fabian Hurzeler, making just one start in 12 Premier League appearances and scoring only once.
West Ham, dealing with injuries to key forwards Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, identified Ferguson as a potential reinforcement. However, Ferguson is currently sidelined with an ankle injury that required surgery, and his return is not expected for several weeks.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has expressed a desire to retain Ferguson, emphasizing the player’s importance to the squad and dismissing the possibility of a loan move. Hurzeler stated, “I don’t know from where this information comes because I said to Evan that I am happy he is here with the team.”
Given these developments, West Ham is exploring alternative options to bolster their attacking lineup during the January transfer window. Potential targets include Chelsea midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka, as well as forwards like Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan and Middlesbrough’s Emmanuel Latte Lath.
In summary, while West Ham initially showed interest in acquiring Evan Ferguson to strengthen their attack, the combination of the player’s injury and Brighton’s reluctance to sanction a loan move has led the Hammers to consider other options in the transfer ma
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