Chelsea join Arsenal & Tottenham in late race to sign Evan Ferguson from Brighton after Bayer Leverkusen move collapses

Brighton are prepared to either sell or loan Ferguson before the transfer window closes. The 20-year-old has attracted widespread interest from top clubs, including Arsenal, Tottenham, Bournemouth, Everton, and West Ham. Initially, Leverkusen appeared to be in pole position to secure his signature, but their plans were disrupted when Al-Nassr backed out of a deal to sign Victor Boniface.

According to The Guardian, Chelsea are looking to reinforce their attack, and Ferguson has emerged as a viable option. Enzo Maresca is eager to bring in another forward to challenge Nicolas Jackson, who has failed to score in his last seven Premier League outings and he believes the Republic of Ireland international is the right fit for the Blues as he is already well-known to Chelsea’s recruitment team, particularly co-sporting director Paul Winstanley, who previously worked at Brighton and played a key role in scouting the young striker. However, what remains uncertain is whether Chelsea are pushing for a loan deal or a permanent transfer with Brighton reportedly open to selling Ferguson for a fee in the region of £40 million ($49m).

Tottenham’s interest in Ferguson appears less urgent. If he were to move to Spurs, he would likely find himself behind Richarlison and Dominic Solanke in the pecking order. In contrast, clubs like Bournemouth and West Ham could offer him regular playing time. The Cherries, in particular, are in need of attacking reinforcements after losing Enes Ünal and Evanilson to injuries. Arsenal are also in the market for a striker, but have already used up their quota of domestic loans and are currently focused on securing Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

While Ferguson remains a key target, Chelsea are also weighing up alternative options before the transfer deadline on Monday. The club have shown interest in Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel and Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho. Additionally, they are keeping tabs on Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens with Ipswich forward Liam Delap being another player on their radar.