Thursday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 20 Mar 2025, 09:47
BBC
Lille and England midfielder Angel Gomes, 24, has rejected an approach by West Ham, despite the Premier League club offering him £100,000-a-week contract to join when his contract expires this summer. (Guardian), external
Arsenal are interested in signing Fiorentina's Italian striker Moise Kean, 25, who previously had an unsuccessful spell at Everton. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian, external)
Manchester United have added two Bundesliga strikers - RB Leipzig's Slovenian Benjamin Sesko, 21, and Eintracht Frankfurt's Frenchman Hugo Ekitike, 22 - to their list of summer targets. (Sky Sports, external)
Man Utd are also interested in RB Leipzig and Netherlands midfielder Xavi Simons, 21, who was a target before he moved to Germany on a permanent deal in January. (Sky Sports, external)
Real Betis will meet with Manchester United to discuss the future of Brazilian winger Antony, 25, who has impressed during a loan spell in La Liga. (ABC - in Spanish, external)
Bournemouth are targeting Club Brugge's Belgian left-back Maxim de Cuyper, 24, should they need to sign a replacement for their in-demand Hungarian full-back Milos Kerkez, 21, who has been targeted by Liverpool. (Football Insider, external)
Atletico Madrid say Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, 25, is not for sale amid reported interest from Liverpool. (Mirror, external)
Chelsea's England winger Noni Madueke, 23, is a summer transfer target for Serie A side AC Milan. (Fichajes - in Spanish, external)
Chelsea could sell up to 11 players this summer - including English pair, forward Raheem Sterling, 30, and 28-year-old defender Ben Chilwell - to help fund a move for a new striker. (Mail+ - subscription required, external)
Barcelona want to re-sign Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, 37, to coincide with their planned return to Camp Nou in summer 2026. (TNT Sports - in Spanish, external)
Real Madrid's Spanish defender Raul Asencio, 22, is set to sign a new long-term contract with the Spanish giants. (Fabrizio Romano, external)
Real Betis are one of three La Liga clubs keen to sign Leeds left-back Junior Firpo, 28, on a free transfer this summer when the Dominican Republic international's contract expires. (Teamtalk, external)
Gateshead FC are tight-lipped amid ongoing speculation regarding a potential takeover at the National League club involving former Nigeria, Everton, West Brom and Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe. (Chronicle), external
Liverpool remain interested in signing Feyenoord right-back Givairo Read, 18, as a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Barcelona also keeping an eye on the Dutch defender. (Sport - in Spanish, external)
Arsenal are monitoring Liverpool forward Luis Diaz, 28, as they look to bolster their attacking options during what is expected to be a busy summer transfer window for Mikel Arteta's side. (TeamTalk, external)
Newcastle United are confident of keeping captain Bruno Guimaraes, 27, at the club if they qualify for next season's Champions League, amidst the midfielder being linked to Arsenal. (Football Insider, external)
Sky Paper Talk
THE INDEPENDENT
Chelsea will have to pay millions of pounds to Manchester United in a penalty clause if they pull out of their agreement to sign Jadon Sancho on a permanent deal this summer.
Darwin Nunez admits he wants to "forget" about his Liverpool woes while on international duty this week, as he vows to fight for his future at the club.
DAILY MAIL
Cole Palmer is set to undergo a second scan on his muscular injury which has stopped the Chelsea playmaker from joining up with the England national team.
Manchester United's decision to uproot fans to make room for a new VIP dugout club at Old Trafford has been branded 'appalling' and 'ruthless'.
Sources in the camp of Geovany Quenda say Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca spoke personally with the 17-year-old winger of Sporting CP before his £40m transfer deal was revealed this week.
Real Madrid are interested in signing Arsenal target Martin Zubimendi this summer, according to a report.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is already looking towards life after football, as he is currently putting himself through the PFA Business School's sporting directorship course.
Mason Greenwood could be axed by Marseille at the end of the season, despite his impressive debut campaign in France, according to a report.
Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on former Everton striker Moise Kean ahead of the summer transfer window.
Palmeiras insiders say that 17-year-old wonderkid Estevao Willian will play for them at this summer's Club World Cup rather than Chelsea.
Manchester United have made a surprise last-minute intervention in the International Olympic Committee presidential election by throwing their support behind Lord Sebastian Coe in his bid for the most powerful job in sport.
Incredible footage of the day-and-night work being put into the £1.25bn renovation of the Nou Camp has shown the project appears to be far from completion.
Chelsea want to sign a striker this summer but will need to sell to satisfy Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) restrictions.
THE SUN
Arsenal have been warned about expanding the Emirates by former managing director Keith Edelman.
Phil Jones says leaving the England and Manchester United WhatsApp groups were some of the most difficult moments of retirement.
Downing Street may clip the wings of the new Independent Football Regulator amid concerns that it will ruin the Premier League.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Manchester United and Manchester City have allegedly been caught up in an age fraud scandal over six academy stars.
In-game bonus points and extra points for away wins could be introduced to the World Test Championship as part of discussions to reform the competition before the next cycle begins in June.
Newcastle United are looking into staging their League Cup win celebrations on the Town Moor rather than having an open-top bus parade through the city.
The bitter row to engulf this year's Boat Race has deepened after reigning Olympic champion Tom Ford was blocked from taking part for Cambridge.
DAILY MIRROR
The FA won't be telling Rasmus Hojlund to stop his cut-throat celebration after the Manchester United striker brought it back out against Leicester.
Atletico Madrid have shut down rumours linking Julian Alvarez with a move to Liverpool, insisting the Argentine striker is not for sale.
The new host for the 2027 Champions League final has been leaked after the San Siro was stripped of the rights, with the president of the Spanish FA claiming that Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium is "guaranteed" to stage the game.
Arsenal are facing a huge transfer window this summer after news that Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are preparing a bid for centre-back Gabriel.
THE TIMES
Top women's footballers and clubs are set to feature in a seven-a-side tournament this May - just six weeks before Euro 2025.
THE ATHLETIC
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is targeting a return to action by the end of April as he recovers from a high ankle sprain.
Dean Huijsen says he will not regret switching his international allegiance from Netherlands to Spain, even if he is never called up by the Spain national team again.
DAILY EXPRESS
Dan Ashworth is reportedly in discussions to become the new sporting director of Al-Nassr.
THE GUARDIAN
West Ham are facing disappointment in their attempts to sign Angel Gomes despite following up their interest in the Lille midfielder by offering him a contract.
The League Cup is at risk of being scrapped as part of the planned revamp of the women's professional game.
DAILY RECORD
Spanish airline company Vueling have announced a special direct connection between Bilbao and Glasgow ahead of the Europa League quarter-final between Rangers and Athletic Club.
Winger Vaclav Cerny "definitely" wants a permanent move to Rangers in the summer. However, the Wolfsburg loanee admits he has not heard from the Light Blues on a move at this stage.
Celtic fans have been told that posting some "very dangerous" pictures of police officers and match-going families online could be a safety risk.
Bologna are reportedly bracing themselves for renewed transfer interest in Lewis Ferguson this summer.
SCOTTISH SUN
Callum McGregor is set for an immediate return to the Celtic side right after the international break.
Victor Griffith has rejected a first call-up to the Panama squad for three years to focus on St Johnstone's fight to beat the drop.
The Athletic
Evan Ferguson is yet to start on loan at West Ham. Will he make an impact after the break?
By Roshane Thomas
They say you should never fall in love with an on-loan player, because it will end in tears.
In the case of Evan Ferguson, there is a growing likelihood of heartbreak among West Ham United’s fanbase.
Since joining on a straight loan from Brighton & Hove Albion on the winter window’s deadline day in February, Ferguson has only played 92 minutes in five league appearances. The 20-year-old striker’s temporary deal until the end of the season does not include an option to buy, and he is yet to start a match for West Ham. He has struggled to dislodge either captain Jarrod Bowen or Mohammed Kudus in his old Brighton head coach Graham Potter’s 5-3-2 formation.
The Republic of Ireland international, who has been capped 18 times going into this week’s internationals, was West Ham’s sole arrival in the winter window. The club were in the market for attacking reinforcements following the hamstring injuries that currently have summer signings Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville on the sidelines. Their fellow forward Michail Antonio will not play again this season as he recovers from injuries sustained in a December car crash.
An offer worth £57million ($70m) to sign Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran was rejected before his switch to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. A loan deal including an obligation to buy Dutch champions PSV’s United States international Ricardo Pepi, worth in the region of £21m, was turned down. Andre Silva of RB Leipzig and Ajax’s Brian Brobbey were also among the targets for West Ham but Ferguson’s previous Premier League experience proved key to his arrival.
The Irishman rebuffed a loan move that could have seen him playing Champions League football for German champions Bayer Leverkusen because of his relationship with Potter, who gave the striker his senior debut with Brighton in August 2021. French side Marseille also expressed an interest in him.
Although Ferguson’s arrival appeared necessary, he has not had the same immediate impact that previous midseason loanee Jesse Lingard did in 2021. West Ham have benefited from loan signings in the past — with the temporary arrivals concerned also gaining from the move. Alphonse Areola, Craig Dawson, Said Benrahma and Tomas Soucek all grabbed their opportunities and their respective loans to the club later became permanent transfers.
Ferguson’s initial struggles have more similarities to the loan deals for midfielders Alex Kral and Kalvin Phillips, both of whom failed to impress during their brief stints in east London.
In Ferguson’s defence, his progress has stalled in recent years due to injuries.
In April 2023, he had ligament surgery on his ankle, which ruled him out for six months. This season, he missed seven games for Brighton with another ankle issue. Given his lack of match sharpness, Brighton’s new head coach Fabian Hurzeler favoured playing fellow forwards Danny Welbeck, Joao Pedro and Georginio Rutter rather than Ferguson. He made only 15 appearances in all competitions, just two of which were Premier League starts, in the first half of the season before getting loaned out.
“I think he is (capable of starting),” Potter said of Ferguson in his press conference ahead of last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Everton. “He probably hasn’t started a game for a while (his most recent one was on December 8) but he’s not far away. It’s difficult for any player (dealing with injuries) because it’s been quite a long time as well. But Evan is the right type, the right person, the right character, and he’s fitted in well with the group.
“He’s a little bit unfortunate in the sense that we went with Jarrod and Mo against Arsenal (on February 22). It could have gone a different way for him but he’s had to remain patient. I think he’s enjoying it here. He’s happy to compete for his place, happy to help when called upon and he’s ready. It’s down to me to select the right options.”
Against Everton on Saturday, Ferguson was initially set to go on before Soucek scored the game’s opening goal in the 67th minute. Potter then told him to warm up again and he did not enter the action until added time, in place of Kudus. After the match finished in a 1-1 draw, Ferguson and West Ham’s unused substitutions had an intense running session on the Goodison Park pitch with a backroom staff member.
Although Ferguson has been limited to those five cameo appearances so far, there are examples that his luck may change once he’s fully fit.
He could have opened his West Ham account in the 2-0 home win against Leicester City on February 27.
Here, Bowen advances towards the penalty area with the Irishman and Carlos Soler in support to his left and right respectively.
The West Ham captain opts to tee up Ferguson, who dithers with the opportunity, allowing Leicester defender Jannik Vestergaard to block the eventual shot.
Ferguson scored 16 goals across 34 appearances for Brighton under Potter and his successor Roberto De Zerbi in the 2022-23 season. But his link-up play also caught the eye as he registered five assists.
In the 1-0 home loss to Newcastle United 10 days ago, Ferguson only played 20 minutes, but there was a passage of play where he threaded a pass to Kudus, showing the unselfish side of his game.
With West Ham searching for an equaliser, Ferguson spots Kudus’ run in behind Dan Burn and Fabian Schar and is unfortunate to see the now England squad member intercept his pass.
An example of a similar passage of play working for Ferguson, at least, was in his country’s 1-0 Nations League win against Finland in November. He plays a through ball to Sammie Szmodics, who puts it in the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
This kind of link-up play is what Ferguson will hope to bring to West Ham’s attack.
In Brighton’s 2-2 draw away to Leicester in December, he again showed how unselfish he is as a player.
Ferguson avoids a sliding tackle from Wilfred Ndidi but opts against taking the shot himself…
..and squares to Kaoru Mitoma, who curls his strike over the bar. Ferguson is capable of being a team player, similar to his current West Ham skipper Bowen.
A brief escape from his situation in club football may serve Ferguson well in the coming days.
He’s been named in the Republic of Ireland’s squad for their two-leg Nations League promotion/relegation play-off against Bulgaria, with the away game today (Thursday) and the decider in Dublin on Sunday.
Ferguson has not played a full 90 minutes for club or country since Brighton’s 3-2 Carabao Cup loss to Liverpool on October 30 but was a starter in Ireland’s previous two fixtures the following month at home to Finland, against whom he scored the game’s only goal, and in the 5-0 defeat by England at Wembley. He will be hoping for much-needed match time over the next week, and it is not just Potter who he will set out to prove wrong.
“He has got to — simple as — knuckle down in training and prove to us this week, and to West Ham when he goes back, that he deserves a start,” said the national team’s assistant coach John O’Shea, as reported by the Irish Independent. “If he gets the chance, whether it’s five minutes, 20 minutes or half an hour, you show why you should be in the team. It’s a combination of all of that. Hopefully, that will improve for the rest of the season and we’ll see what happens over the course of these next two games, but he looked very sharp in training.”
Ferguson also faces competition for a place in the West Ham side from Fullkrug after this international break. The Germany international has returned to training and is in contention to feature away to Wolverhampton Wanderers when the club campaign resumes on April 1.
Joining West Ham was supposed to revive Ferguson’s career but he now has nine league games left to convince Potter his long-term future lies with him at the London Stadium.
“I want to come in and do my best for the club, score goals, and see where we get to,” he told West Ham’s website after his arrival.
He now needs to turn his words into action.
(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The 72
West Ham join Newcastle United in pursuit of Burnley ace
Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has emerged on the radar of West Ham, as detailed in a report by The Guardian.
Burnley could face a battle to keep hold of the stopper this summer amid interest from the Premier League. He is under contract at Turf Moor until the summer of 2027.
Trafford, 22, has been linked with a move to Newcastle United later this year, as per the Daily Mail, and he was on their radar last year after the Clarets were relegated to the Championship. He has made 37 appearances in all competitions so far this season for the Lancashire outfit and has kept a whopping 26 clean sheets.
In this latest update regarding his situation, The Guardian claim West Ham may turn to him in the next transfer window. Former Swansea City boss Graham Potter is looking to bring in some new faces to boost his newly inherited squad.
Burnley landed Trafford in 2023 and he has since made the number one spot his own.
They were relegated last year from the top flight after finishing in the bottom three along with Sheffield United and Luton Town.
The Clarets are now looking to get promoted at the first time of asking under Scott Parker and are sat in 3rd place in the table.
His teammate CJ Egan-Riley has said, as per The Mirror: “For me, he’s simply the best. I’ve known ‘Traf’ for 10 years now, since we came through the academy at Manchester City and he’s a really close friend on and off the pitch. As a defender you feel so comfortable knowing he’s behind you and we have so much trust in him.
“He’s part of the current England squad and, for me, Traf will go on to become one of the best keepers in the world – that’s how highly we rate him.”
Trafford played for Cockermouth and Carlisle United before moving to Manchester City. The ‘keeper rose up through the academy ranks at the Etihad Stadium and represented them at various different youth levels.
The Cumbria-born man never played a first-team match for Pep Guardiola’s side and was loaned out to Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers to get some experience under his belt. City then sold him permanently when Burnley came calling.
Time will tell whether the Clarets will be able to retain the services of Trafford beyond this campaign.
Lille and England midfielder Angel Gomes, 24, has rejected an approach by West Ham, despite the Premier League club offering him £100,000-a-week contract to join when his contract expires this summer. (Guardian), external
Arsenal are interested in signing Fiorentina's Italian striker Moise Kean, 25, who previously had an unsuccessful spell at Everton. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian, external)
Manchester United have added two Bundesliga strikers - RB Leipzig's Slovenian Benjamin Sesko, 21, and Eintracht Frankfurt's Frenchman Hugo Ekitike, 22 - to their list of summer targets. (Sky Sports, external)
Man Utd are also interested in RB Leipzig and Netherlands midfielder Xavi Simons, 21, who was a target before he moved to Germany on a permanent deal in January. (Sky Sports, external)
Real Betis will meet with Manchester United to discuss the future of Brazilian winger Antony, 25, who has impressed during a loan spell in La Liga. (ABC - in Spanish, external)
Bournemouth are targeting Club Brugge's Belgian left-back Maxim de Cuyper, 24, should they need to sign a replacement for their in-demand Hungarian full-back Milos Kerkez, 21, who has been targeted by Liverpool. (Football Insider, external)
Atletico Madrid say Argentine striker Julian Alvarez, 25, is not for sale amid reported interest from Liverpool. (Mirror, external)
Chelsea's England winger Noni Madueke, 23, is a summer transfer target for Serie A side AC Milan. (Fichajes - in Spanish, external)
Chelsea could sell up to 11 players this summer - including English pair, forward Raheem Sterling, 30, and 28-year-old defender Ben Chilwell - to help fund a move for a new striker. (Mail+ - subscription required, external)
Barcelona want to re-sign Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, 37, to coincide with their planned return to Camp Nou in summer 2026. (TNT Sports - in Spanish, external)
Real Madrid's Spanish defender Raul Asencio, 22, is set to sign a new long-term contract with the Spanish giants. (Fabrizio Romano, external)
Real Betis are one of three La Liga clubs keen to sign Leeds left-back Junior Firpo, 28, on a free transfer this summer when the Dominican Republic international's contract expires. (Teamtalk, external)
Gateshead FC are tight-lipped amid ongoing speculation regarding a potential takeover at the National League club involving former Nigeria, Everton, West Brom and Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe. (Chronicle), external
Liverpool remain interested in signing Feyenoord right-back Givairo Read, 18, as a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Barcelona also keeping an eye on the Dutch defender. (Sport - in Spanish, external)
Arsenal are monitoring Liverpool forward Luis Diaz, 28, as they look to bolster their attacking options during what is expected to be a busy summer transfer window for Mikel Arteta's side. (TeamTalk, external)
Newcastle United are confident of keeping captain Bruno Guimaraes, 27, at the club if they qualify for next season's Champions League, amidst the midfielder being linked to Arsenal. (Football Insider, external)
Sky Paper Talk
THE INDEPENDENT
Chelsea will have to pay millions of pounds to Manchester United in a penalty clause if they pull out of their agreement to sign Jadon Sancho on a permanent deal this summer.
Darwin Nunez admits he wants to "forget" about his Liverpool woes while on international duty this week, as he vows to fight for his future at the club.
DAILY MAIL
Cole Palmer is set to undergo a second scan on his muscular injury which has stopped the Chelsea playmaker from joining up with the England national team.
Manchester United's decision to uproot fans to make room for a new VIP dugout club at Old Trafford has been branded 'appalling' and 'ruthless'.
Sources in the camp of Geovany Quenda say Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca spoke personally with the 17-year-old winger of Sporting CP before his £40m transfer deal was revealed this week.
Real Madrid are interested in signing Arsenal target Martin Zubimendi this summer, according to a report.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is already looking towards life after football, as he is currently putting himself through the PFA Business School's sporting directorship course.
Mason Greenwood could be axed by Marseille at the end of the season, despite his impressive debut campaign in France, according to a report.
Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on former Everton striker Moise Kean ahead of the summer transfer window.
Palmeiras insiders say that 17-year-old wonderkid Estevao Willian will play for them at this summer's Club World Cup rather than Chelsea.
Manchester United have made a surprise last-minute intervention in the International Olympic Committee presidential election by throwing their support behind Lord Sebastian Coe in his bid for the most powerful job in sport.
Incredible footage of the day-and-night work being put into the £1.25bn renovation of the Nou Camp has shown the project appears to be far from completion.
Chelsea want to sign a striker this summer but will need to sell to satisfy Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) restrictions.
THE SUN
Arsenal have been warned about expanding the Emirates by former managing director Keith Edelman.
Phil Jones says leaving the England and Manchester United WhatsApp groups were some of the most difficult moments of retirement.
Downing Street may clip the wings of the new Independent Football Regulator amid concerns that it will ruin the Premier League.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
Manchester United and Manchester City have allegedly been caught up in an age fraud scandal over six academy stars.
In-game bonus points and extra points for away wins could be introduced to the World Test Championship as part of discussions to reform the competition before the next cycle begins in June.
Newcastle United are looking into staging their League Cup win celebrations on the Town Moor rather than having an open-top bus parade through the city.
The bitter row to engulf this year's Boat Race has deepened after reigning Olympic champion Tom Ford was blocked from taking part for Cambridge.
DAILY MIRROR
The FA won't be telling Rasmus Hojlund to stop his cut-throat celebration after the Manchester United striker brought it back out against Leicester.
Atletico Madrid have shut down rumours linking Julian Alvarez with a move to Liverpool, insisting the Argentine striker is not for sale.
The new host for the 2027 Champions League final has been leaked after the San Siro was stripped of the rights, with the president of the Spanish FA claiming that Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium is "guaranteed" to stage the game.
Arsenal are facing a huge transfer window this summer after news that Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are preparing a bid for centre-back Gabriel.
THE TIMES
Top women's footballers and clubs are set to feature in a seven-a-side tournament this May - just six weeks before Euro 2025.
THE ATHLETIC
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is targeting a return to action by the end of April as he recovers from a high ankle sprain.
Dean Huijsen says he will not regret switching his international allegiance from Netherlands to Spain, even if he is never called up by the Spain national team again.
DAILY EXPRESS
Dan Ashworth is reportedly in discussions to become the new sporting director of Al-Nassr.
THE GUARDIAN
West Ham are facing disappointment in their attempts to sign Angel Gomes despite following up their interest in the Lille midfielder by offering him a contract.
The League Cup is at risk of being scrapped as part of the planned revamp of the women's professional game.
DAILY RECORD
Spanish airline company Vueling have announced a special direct connection between Bilbao and Glasgow ahead of the Europa League quarter-final between Rangers and Athletic Club.
Winger Vaclav Cerny "definitely" wants a permanent move to Rangers in the summer. However, the Wolfsburg loanee admits he has not heard from the Light Blues on a move at this stage.
Celtic fans have been told that posting some "very dangerous" pictures of police officers and match-going families online could be a safety risk.
Bologna are reportedly bracing themselves for renewed transfer interest in Lewis Ferguson this summer.
SCOTTISH SUN
Callum McGregor is set for an immediate return to the Celtic side right after the international break.
Victor Griffith has rejected a first call-up to the Panama squad for three years to focus on St Johnstone's fight to beat the drop.
The Athletic
Evan Ferguson is yet to start on loan at West Ham. Will he make an impact after the break?
By Roshane Thomas
They say you should never fall in love with an on-loan player, because it will end in tears.
In the case of Evan Ferguson, there is a growing likelihood of heartbreak among West Ham United’s fanbase.
Since joining on a straight loan from Brighton & Hove Albion on the winter window’s deadline day in February, Ferguson has only played 92 minutes in five league appearances. The 20-year-old striker’s temporary deal until the end of the season does not include an option to buy, and he is yet to start a match for West Ham. He has struggled to dislodge either captain Jarrod Bowen or Mohammed Kudus in his old Brighton head coach Graham Potter’s 5-3-2 formation.
The Republic of Ireland international, who has been capped 18 times going into this week’s internationals, was West Ham’s sole arrival in the winter window. The club were in the market for attacking reinforcements following the hamstring injuries that currently have summer signings Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville on the sidelines. Their fellow forward Michail Antonio will not play again this season as he recovers from injuries sustained in a December car crash.
An offer worth £57million ($70m) to sign Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran was rejected before his switch to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. A loan deal including an obligation to buy Dutch champions PSV’s United States international Ricardo Pepi, worth in the region of £21m, was turned down. Andre Silva of RB Leipzig and Ajax’s Brian Brobbey were also among the targets for West Ham but Ferguson’s previous Premier League experience proved key to his arrival.
The Irishman rebuffed a loan move that could have seen him playing Champions League football for German champions Bayer Leverkusen because of his relationship with Potter, who gave the striker his senior debut with Brighton in August 2021. French side Marseille also expressed an interest in him.
Although Ferguson’s arrival appeared necessary, he has not had the same immediate impact that previous midseason loanee Jesse Lingard did in 2021. West Ham have benefited from loan signings in the past — with the temporary arrivals concerned also gaining from the move. Alphonse Areola, Craig Dawson, Said Benrahma and Tomas Soucek all grabbed their opportunities and their respective loans to the club later became permanent transfers.
Ferguson’s initial struggles have more similarities to the loan deals for midfielders Alex Kral and Kalvin Phillips, both of whom failed to impress during their brief stints in east London.
In Ferguson’s defence, his progress has stalled in recent years due to injuries.
In April 2023, he had ligament surgery on his ankle, which ruled him out for six months. This season, he missed seven games for Brighton with another ankle issue. Given his lack of match sharpness, Brighton’s new head coach Fabian Hurzeler favoured playing fellow forwards Danny Welbeck, Joao Pedro and Georginio Rutter rather than Ferguson. He made only 15 appearances in all competitions, just two of which were Premier League starts, in the first half of the season before getting loaned out.
“I think he is (capable of starting),” Potter said of Ferguson in his press conference ahead of last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Everton. “He probably hasn’t started a game for a while (his most recent one was on December 8) but he’s not far away. It’s difficult for any player (dealing with injuries) because it’s been quite a long time as well. But Evan is the right type, the right person, the right character, and he’s fitted in well with the group.
“He’s a little bit unfortunate in the sense that we went with Jarrod and Mo against Arsenal (on February 22). It could have gone a different way for him but he’s had to remain patient. I think he’s enjoying it here. He’s happy to compete for his place, happy to help when called upon and he’s ready. It’s down to me to select the right options.”
Against Everton on Saturday, Ferguson was initially set to go on before Soucek scored the game’s opening goal in the 67th minute. Potter then told him to warm up again and he did not enter the action until added time, in place of Kudus. After the match finished in a 1-1 draw, Ferguson and West Ham’s unused substitutions had an intense running session on the Goodison Park pitch with a backroom staff member.
Although Ferguson has been limited to those five cameo appearances so far, there are examples that his luck may change once he’s fully fit.
He could have opened his West Ham account in the 2-0 home win against Leicester City on February 27.
Here, Bowen advances towards the penalty area with the Irishman and Carlos Soler in support to his left and right respectively.
The West Ham captain opts to tee up Ferguson, who dithers with the opportunity, allowing Leicester defender Jannik Vestergaard to block the eventual shot.
Ferguson scored 16 goals across 34 appearances for Brighton under Potter and his successor Roberto De Zerbi in the 2022-23 season. But his link-up play also caught the eye as he registered five assists.
In the 1-0 home loss to Newcastle United 10 days ago, Ferguson only played 20 minutes, but there was a passage of play where he threaded a pass to Kudus, showing the unselfish side of his game.
With West Ham searching for an equaliser, Ferguson spots Kudus’ run in behind Dan Burn and Fabian Schar and is unfortunate to see the now England squad member intercept his pass.
An example of a similar passage of play working for Ferguson, at least, was in his country’s 1-0 Nations League win against Finland in November. He plays a through ball to Sammie Szmodics, who puts it in the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
This kind of link-up play is what Ferguson will hope to bring to West Ham’s attack.
In Brighton’s 2-2 draw away to Leicester in December, he again showed how unselfish he is as a player.
Ferguson avoids a sliding tackle from Wilfred Ndidi but opts against taking the shot himself…
..and squares to Kaoru Mitoma, who curls his strike over the bar. Ferguson is capable of being a team player, similar to his current West Ham skipper Bowen.
A brief escape from his situation in club football may serve Ferguson well in the coming days.
He’s been named in the Republic of Ireland’s squad for their two-leg Nations League promotion/relegation play-off against Bulgaria, with the away game today (Thursday) and the decider in Dublin on Sunday.
Ferguson has not played a full 90 minutes for club or country since Brighton’s 3-2 Carabao Cup loss to Liverpool on October 30 but was a starter in Ireland’s previous two fixtures the following month at home to Finland, against whom he scored the game’s only goal, and in the 5-0 defeat by England at Wembley. He will be hoping for much-needed match time over the next week, and it is not just Potter who he will set out to prove wrong.
“He has got to — simple as — knuckle down in training and prove to us this week, and to West Ham when he goes back, that he deserves a start,” said the national team’s assistant coach John O’Shea, as reported by the Irish Independent. “If he gets the chance, whether it’s five minutes, 20 minutes or half an hour, you show why you should be in the team. It’s a combination of all of that. Hopefully, that will improve for the rest of the season and we’ll see what happens over the course of these next two games, but he looked very sharp in training.”
Ferguson also faces competition for a place in the West Ham side from Fullkrug after this international break. The Germany international has returned to training and is in contention to feature away to Wolverhampton Wanderers when the club campaign resumes on April 1.
Joining West Ham was supposed to revive Ferguson’s career but he now has nine league games left to convince Potter his long-term future lies with him at the London Stadium.
“I want to come in and do my best for the club, score goals, and see where we get to,” he told West Ham’s website after his arrival.
He now needs to turn his words into action.
(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The 72
West Ham join Newcastle United in pursuit of Burnley ace
Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has emerged on the radar of West Ham, as detailed in a report by The Guardian.
Burnley could face a battle to keep hold of the stopper this summer amid interest from the Premier League. He is under contract at Turf Moor until the summer of 2027.
Trafford, 22, has been linked with a move to Newcastle United later this year, as per the Daily Mail, and he was on their radar last year after the Clarets were relegated to the Championship. He has made 37 appearances in all competitions so far this season for the Lancashire outfit and has kept a whopping 26 clean sheets.
In this latest update regarding his situation, The Guardian claim West Ham may turn to him in the next transfer window. Former Swansea City boss Graham Potter is looking to bring in some new faces to boost his newly inherited squad.
Burnley landed Trafford in 2023 and he has since made the number one spot his own.
They were relegated last year from the top flight after finishing in the bottom three along with Sheffield United and Luton Town.
The Clarets are now looking to get promoted at the first time of asking under Scott Parker and are sat in 3rd place in the table.
His teammate CJ Egan-Riley has said, as per The Mirror: “For me, he’s simply the best. I’ve known ‘Traf’ for 10 years now, since we came through the academy at Manchester City and he’s a really close friend on and off the pitch. As a defender you feel so comfortable knowing he’s behind you and we have so much trust in him.
“He’s part of the current England squad and, for me, Traf will go on to become one of the best keepers in the world – that’s how highly we rate him.”
Trafford played for Cockermouth and Carlisle United before moving to Manchester City. The ‘keeper rose up through the academy ranks at the Etihad Stadium and represented them at various different youth levels.
The Cumbria-born man never played a first-team match for Pep Guardiola’s side and was loaned out to Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers to get some experience under his belt. City then sold him permanently when Burnley came calling.
Time will tell whether the Clarets will be able to retain the services of Trafford beyond this campaign.