Ten Hag ‘chooses’ £115m Prem ‘sensation’ to ‘resurrect’ Man Utd post-takeover in ‘record’ transfer

According to reports, Erik ten Hag has ‘chosen’ Brighton striker Evan Ferguson as one of his main Manchester United transfer targets.

Ferguson has emerged as one of the best young strikers in the world as he has quickly established himself as a regular for Brighton in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old grabbed six goals and two assists in 19 Premier League games last season in what was a breakout campaign for the teenager. He already has five goals in 11 outings this term and he netted a hat-trick in their 3-1 win over Newcastle.

The forward could be the next player to leave Brighton for a huge fee and they can ask for whatever they like in January or next summer as he recently extended his contract until 2029.

It has recently been reported that Man Utd have ‘set their sights’ on Ferguson, who has been tipped to cost as much as £115m. 

Man Utd have been consistently linked with Ferguson over the past couple of years and he was on their radar in the summer before they spent £64m to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta.

Hojlund is statistically one of the worst finishers in the Premier League but he has been one of their better performers this term.

Despite this, the 20-year-old required support so Man Utd may opt to bring in a new striker in January or next summer.

Spanish outlet Fichajes are reporting that Ferguson has been ‘chosen’ by Ten Hag as the ‘new striker to resurrect Man Utd’.

Ten Hag is said to have his ‘eyes on the sensation’ but a ‘British record transfer fee’ will likely be required ‘to secure his services’.

This feels pretty unlikely at this stage but if completed, it would potentially be United’s first major signing after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival, with his deal to buy a 25% stake in the club set to be completed. 

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Ex-United striker Louis Saha recently explained why he thinks his former club were “right” to target Hojlund over Ferguson in the summer.

“Rasmus Hojlund was the right target for Manchester United over Evan Ferguson,” Saha told Paddy Power. “Both players are tremendous with exciting potential but whenever you make a decision, there needs to be no regrets.

“Ferguson scored a hat trick on the weekend, and Hojlund played in his debut, it doesn’t make sense to make those comparisons because they have two different careers.

“Ferguson is doing well and it’s great for Brighton but for now it’s about Manchester United and the players they have available.

“Hojlund came on for 25 minutes and he did very well, his strength and power showed, and this will be good for United as other than him there are no real target men at the club.

“He can occupy the two central defenders and maybe even free up space because of his speed and strength. It will be very interesting to see how he can adapt physically after a few games, but I’m sure that is the right choice for Manchester United.”

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