Chelsea are “interested” in signing Brighton forward Evan Ferguson, according to the Evening Standard.
The newspaper claims that the Blues are keen admirers of the Republic of Ireland international but the Seagulls are not looking to sell the teenager. Ferguson only signed a new five-year contract recently and it is believed that he “could cost more than £100m”. Fans on X are dead against Mauricio Pochettino’s side making a move for the striker:
Do we ever learn
— M (@CFCMizzy_) January 11, 2024
They'll ask $100M and we will pay, and he will flop.
— Couch Investor🛋️ (@Couch_Investor) January 11, 2024
Stop dealing with Brighton
— D (@cfcdolly2) January 11, 2024
this makes me furious
— Puli11 (@EnzoOwnsU) January 11, 2024
Pls don’t 😔
— Rockstar✨ (@IamAl_ahad) January 11, 2024
We ain't serious one bit
— omotuo_kanzo😃😉🇬🇭🇺🇸 (@giokrandy) January 11, 2024
6 goals in 18 games… For the price Brighton would want, we shouldn't touch him with a 10 foot pole
— Tomas (@thomastheblue) January 11, 2024
Last time I watched Brighton he was on the bench 😳
— Steve Petrus (@TheChelsea1905) January 11, 2024
Re-entering negotiations with Brighton doesn’t seem like the wisest decision
Over the past 18 months, Chelsea have paid the Seagulls close to £225m for purchasing players and compensation for their staff. So far, most of the deals have not worked out for the best.
It is believed that the interest in Ferguson is borne out from the fact that he would demand lower wages than other potential transfer targets but that is not a good enough reason for going after him when there are better options on the market.
Chelsea are in negotiations for another striker
Reports suggest that the Blues have held conversations with the entourage of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen in recent weeks. Unlike Ferguson, the Nigerian international is a proven goalscorer at the highest level.
Moreover, his release clause is said to be between £103m and £112m which means that he wouldn’t cost a great deal more than Ferguson anyway.