Chelsea ‘targeting Evan Ferguson transfer swoop but Brighton could demand British record fee for wonderkid striker’
EVAN FERGUSON may fetch a British transfer record fee if he signs for Chelsea, reports suggest.
The teenager has once again impressed would be suitors this season after netting six goals in 18 Premier League games, 11 of which have been starts.
Chelsea are chief among those interested in his services.
And given the club’s woes in front of goal this season, with Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja scoring league eight goals between them, a frontman is seen as necessary to take Chelsea up a notch.
According to the Evening Standard, the Blues are long-term admirers of 19-year-old Ferguson.
However, the Irishman recently signed a new contract with Brighton tying him to the club until 2029.
The Seagulls are also under no pressure to sell given their strong financial position, in part financed by Chelsea buying the likes of Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella in recent seasons.
Therefore, it is claimed, Chelsea may need to fork out more than £100million to land Ferguson.
Indeed, this could force the Blues to break the transfer record for a British player, with the record currently held by Arsenal‘s £105m purchase of Declan Rice from West Ham, £5m of which are add-ons.
However, a reluctance to lose another jewel to Chelsea is considered another stumbling block towards a potential deal.
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There is also interest from rivals to consider, with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham both previously linked.
Despite this, Brighton are resigned to losing Ferguson eventually, with CEO Paul Barber saying in November: “At some point in the future, Evan’s gonna be playing at an even higher level if his trajectory continues as it is.”
This being said, Ferguson is not the only forward Chelsea are eyeing.
Reports suggest the Londoners have entered talks to sign Victor Osimhen, while Dusan Vlahovic, Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Boniface are also on their list.
However, Chelsea need to balance the books due to the £1billion they have splashed on transfers since Todd Boehly arrived.
This has seen midfielder Conor Gallagher linked with a Stamford Bridge exit, with Tottenham in the running for a deal which could be worth up to £50m.
Chelsea face a West London derby when they host Fulham in Saturday’s early kick off.
Fans will want to see a reaction after Mauricio Pochettino‘s side lost the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough on Tuesday.
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