Brighton are ready to hand Evan Ferguson a new deal to warn off interest from the likes of Manchester United.
The teenager has enjoyed a breakout campaign at the Amex and the Seagulls want to iron out his long-term future, despite only giving him a professional contract a matter of months ago. Ferguson has bagged seven goals and laid on three assists in his 16 appearances this term.
Brighton are now ready to issue the forward with a new long-term contract that reflects his value, reports The Sun, as they aim to keep the likes of United and their fellow top four rivals at bay. They previously battled with the Seagulls to sign Ferguson when he initially moved over from Bohemians in Ireland two years ago.
The forward himself is keen to remain at the Amex, where he will continue to get regular minutes, which may not be the case if he moves to a Premier League giant.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has said on his young forward: "He is unique for us in terms of quality, in terms of characteristic. He knows very well the way to score. I think he can and he has to improve, in the quality of play, in ball possession, to keep the ball better. But he is 18 and he will improve for sure, because I know the guy, I know his passion, his attitude. I have no doubt."
Kylian Mbappe came up against Ferguson during the week as Les Blues secured a narrow win over the Irish. The Brighton star had scored on his debut in a win over Latvia and the World Cup Golden Boot winner admitted that they'd pinpointed Ferguson as a threat. "We watched some of his plays, he's a very good striker. We'll be very wary of him and, hopefully, we won't see him much," he said.
United are very much on the lookout for a striker this summer as Erik ten Hag continues to shape his squad at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford has stepped up this term, but is seen as more of a wide forward than a conventional No 9 who will play through the middle.
As a result Harry Kane has been identified as a key target with his Tottenham contract winding down and speculation mounting that he could finally leave north London in search of silverware. Alternatives have also been eyed, with Ferguson among them and Napoli's Victor Osimhen another.
Despite the interest, Seagulls owner Tony Bloom is adamant that the south coast is currently the best place for the teenager: "I can’t guarantee what will happen in the future but for the short term I have no doubt, the best place for Evan to be is at Brighton & Hove Albion. I believe he’ll be here for at least a few seasons to come. That’ll be good for his career. Long term, the world is his oyster."
