‘Undeterred’ Man Utd ‘set sights’ on £115m Premier League star as monumental ‘deal nears’

Manchester United are hopeful that they will be able to sign Brighton striker Evan Ferguson ‘in the near future’, according to reports.

Man Utd had a really encouraging first season under Erik ten Hag with the Dutchman getting the club to an FA Cup final, lifting the League Cup and finishing top four in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have Marcus Rashford to partly thank for that with the England international scoring 30 goals in all competitions but the Red Devils are finding goals harder to come by this term.

Ten Hag made it one of his top priorities to bring in a centre forward to relieve some of the goalscoring burden on Rashford with Rasmus Hojlund arriving from Atalanta for £72m in the summer window.

But sixth-placed Man Utd are the lowest goalscorers in the top half of the Premier League with just 13 goals scored in 12 matches this campaign.

Hojlund, who was scored five in four matches in the Champions League, has yet to get off the mark in the Premier League, while last season’s top goalscorer Rashford has just one goal to his name this term.

READ MORE: The facts are that Ten Hag has done better than Klopp or Arteta in first 50 games

And now Man Utd – who have the fourth highest net spend in the Premier League in 2023 – are looking to improve their strike force as soon as possible with Football Insider claiming that the Red Devils are ‘setting their sights’ on Brighton striker Ferguson.

The Republic of Ireland international has only just put pen to paper on a new contract at the Amex Stadium until 2029 – but Man Utd ‘are undeterred and continue to monitor his progress ahead of a possible swoop in the near future’.

Man Utd will have to compete with ‘many top Premier League and European clubs considering moves’ and they are still hopeful that Hojlund will help ‘fill their striking vacancy for the years to come’.

It could take as much as £115m for the Red Devils to sign Ferguson, though, with The Sun recently reporting that ‘it would take more than the £115million Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo in the summer to sign’ the young Irishman.

There is hope that Man Utd could have more money to spend in the near future as Sky News reports that a ‘deal nears’ for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment in the club.

Benfica midfielder Joao Neves is another player who Man Utd are reportedly interested in and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has brought the latest on his situation.

Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “Benfica are always producing talents and Joao Neves is another one – born in 2004, the midfielder is doing fantastic for them right now, particularly against Sporting Lisbon in their last game. He’s already a crucial player for them and a top talent, and we’ve seen him linked with top clubs in recent months.

“What I can mention today is that Manchester United sent their scouts to watch Neves in the game against Sporting. They want to keep an eye on his progress and development, so this could be one to watch for the future. Many clubs are keeping an eye on him, but I can confirm that Man United are one of them.

“What will happen next will depend on several factors like the ownership, the manager, the directors who are likely to change in the next weeks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe incoming … many changes are likely at United, but the scouting department are keeping a close eye on Neves.

“Staying with Man United, I’ve had some fans asking me about reports linking them with an interest in a winger and a right-back this January, but that’s not the information I have. As I recently said, I’m told their priority for 2024 is a centre-back, and in my opinion they’re already well covered at right-back with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot.”