Five reasons why Evan Ferguson to West Ham makes so much sense

West Ham have agreed a loan move with Brighton that will see Evan Ferguson join until the end of the season.

The deal is all but done, and all that is left to do is for Ferguson to complete his medical and sign on the dotted line.

It’s a move that makes so much sense for Ferguson and for the two clubs in question - and here are five reasons why…

Graham Potter

There is no hiding new West Ham manager Graham Potter’s admiration for Evan Ferguson, and he was the main man at Brighton when Ferguson arrived from Bohemians in January 2021.

Ferguson was still a couple of months away from his 17th birthday when Potter handed him his first-team debut, in a League Cup win over Cardiff City in August 2021.

A few months later, Ferguson appeared in the FAI Cup, while his Premier League breakthrough came in February 2022 against Burnley.

Once Potter was appointed as West Ham boss, after the departure of Julen Lopetegui, the Hammers became strong favourites to sign the Meathman.

By the time Potter left Brighton for Chelsea, Ferguson had made just five first-team appearances, so this will be a chance for the manager to finally reap the rewards of the early faith he showed in the forward.

Forward Flops

West Ham haven’t exactly set the world alight in front of goal, so they desperately needed to boost their attacking options.

Jarrod Bowen is their top scoring striker so far this season, but he has managed just five goals in 19 Premier League appearances. Danny Ings has scored just once in 13, while Germany international Niclas Fullkrug has struggled to make an impact since his move last summer. He has scored just twice in nine appearances.

Injuries to Fullkrug, Bowen and Michail Antonio, who has scored just once this term, mean Ferguson shouldn’t have to wait too long for his first-team bow.

The Only Way Is Up

It’s been a real slog for West Ham so far this season, with the club 15th in the Premier League, but with a 10-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone.

Recent results have been wildly inconsistent, so the addition of a major goal-threat could be just what they need to steady the ship.

After all, they have only managed to score 28 times in 23 Premier League games so far this season.

Three of their next six opponents will be teams that were linked with Ferguson during the January transfer window, starting with Chelsea on Monday night.

Arsenal and Everton will also provide opposition in the coming weeks, as will Brentford and Leicester.

Ferguson will no doubt relish the opportunity to show the rest what they are missing.

Game Time

Had he made the move to Arsenal or Chelsea, there would have been no guarantee of regular first-team minutes for Ferguson, but at West Ham - once he’s producing the goods - he should feature regularly.

And while there were a couple of continental giants casting an eye on him - including Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen - playing in the Premier League will give Ferguson a chance to prove himself to Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler ahead of next season.

Creativity

West Ham have players who can link up with and provide ammunition for Ferguson, but they haven’t shown it so far this season.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has just one assist to his name so far, while Emerson on the other side is the same. Tomas Soucek and Edison Alvarez should be more creative than their assist stats (one each) suggest too.

The Hammers haven’t been shy about getting crosses into the box so far this season, averaging around 16 per game to date.

If they can improve their accuracy and have someone with Ferguson’s aerial ability in the box, they might get more joy from that area.

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