Arsenal interest in Ferguson CONFIRMED as Arteta eyes 'opportunity'

Tom Weber

Updated: 2 Jan 2025 16:35 GMT
4 min read

Evan Ferguson, Arsenal, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

Arsenal are interested in Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, with Mikel Arteta keen to pounce on any January 'opportunities.'

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The Gunners find themselves six points off Premier League leaders Liverpool due to a dip in form earlier in the season but are determined to close the gap between now and the end of the campaign.

Arsenal have won three consecutive top-flight games and put three past Brentford on Wednesday. However, there have been times this season when the Gunners struggled for goals.

In the summer, Mikel Arteta had wanted to bring in RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko but he opted to sign a new contract instead. Arsenal ultimately decided against signing a striker just for the sake of making up the numbers, which means that they remain attentive to the No.9 market.

With the January window now open, Arteta has admitted that the club are considering potential 'opportunities.' “Let’s see," he said after the Brentford game. "If there’s an opportunity, we will look at it.”

Ferguson to Arsenal?

One such opportunity could be Brighton youngster Evan Ferguson. Arsenal's interest in the striker dates back to his initial emergence and FootballTransfers exclusively reported in 2023 that the Gunners had earmarked him for a potential transfer in 2024.

However, recurring injury problems and a subsequent dip in form derailed the Gunners' plans and Ferguson, once the Premier League's next big thing, now finds himself struggling for minutes under Fabian Hurzeler.

In December, reports first emerged that Brighton were open to loaning the 20-year-old out in January, though Hurzeler insisted that these claims were wide of the mark.

Indeed, Ben Jacobs now reports that Brighton still have not made a final decision on Ferguson's future, with the No.1 priority right now still getting him back to full health and match sharpness.

However, the journalist confirms that a January exit is a distinct possibility and also mentions Arsenal as one of the clubs 'alert' to the situation. He states that Arsenal won't spend big on a striker in January but could pounce on Ferguson should he become available.

Brighton would likely ask for a purchase obligation to be included in the deal, but Jacobs claims that the addition of the Ireland international would not prevent Arsenal from signing one of their top striker targets in the summer.

This echoes FootballTransfers' reporting on Marcus Rashford on Wednesday. Arsenal are monitoring the situation and could strike under the right circumstances but it would not preclude a summer move for one of their key winger targets.