Fabrizio Romano warns Man Utd over ‘special and talented’ striker

Robin Bairner

• 27 Mar 2023 14:47 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United have been warned by Fabrizio Romano that they may need to bide their time to sign Brighton sensation Evan Ferguson.

The 18-year-old Ireland forward has burst onto the scene with the Seagulls this season, scoring three times in the Premier League, and courted further recognition last week as he netted his first international goal in a 3-2 win over Latvia.

MORE: Man Utd told Ajax signing ‘one of the worst deals of the decade’

Man Utd are set to watch him in Euro 2024 qualifying action for Ireland against France on Monday.

The Red Devils have courted the player over the possibility of a summer transfer, but Romano warns that could be difficult to achieve and notes that the competition for the player is likely to be intense when he does leave the AmEx Stadium.

MORE: Man Utd's SEVEN striker transfer options

Man Utd face Ferguson transfer battle

“I can tell you that Man Utd scouts have already followed the player two or three times in the last three or four months,” Romano told the United Stand. “He’s a player that Man Utd are already following. But there are many other clubs because he is a really special and talented player.

“Brighton’s feeling is that they want to keep him for at least another season, so I’m not sure it’s going to be easy to sign Ferguson in the summer. And the player is happy there. He knows that Brighton is the best place to develop and them move maybe in the summer of 2024. So the situation is not easy at all.

“It’s true that Man Utd are alongside many other clubs. It’s absolutely normal to have your scouts around Europe following the best talent and he’s for sure one of them.

“A player like Rasmus Hojlund is more accessible than Ferguson at this moment. So we’ll have to see in the summer.

“With Brighton it’s always tough to negotiate and the expectation for them is probably to lose Moises Caicedo and probably to lose Alexis Mac Allister, so for Brighton it will not be an easy summer but for sure there will be strong negotiations for Ferguson.”

It will take something special, then, for Man Utd to land Ferguson this summer.