West Ham United have secured the loan signing of Evan Ferguson from Brighton & Hove Albion until the end of the season, reuniting him with Graham Potter. West Ham will pay Ferguson’s salary and a loan fee, along with potential add-ons.
Our writers — experts in transfers, tactics, data and football finance — have come together to rate January’s senior Premier League transfers. This continues the project we launched last summer, but we have also made some significant tweaks to how we assess each deal.
Gone are the five scores out of 100, and in their place are 10 ratings out of 50. This should allow for much more nuance to be reflected in the analysis and, importantly, much more variability in the overall figure each transfer ends up with. Follow the link below for more background on the changes.
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Tactical fit — 43/50
Ferguson’s previous experience playing under Potter is a massive plus, but he showed flashes of his potential under Roberto De Zerbi too.
Part of the reason why Ferguson was rated so highly less than 50 games into his Premier League career was his all-round ability. He is a centre-forward who is comfortable scoring with his right or left and has a catalogue of great headed goals using his tall frame (6ft/183cm).
While his link-up play did not stand out under Fabian Hurzeler, he showed during Roberto De Zerbi’s reign that he could play with his back to goal and use his physicality to create space for Brighton’s wingers such as Kaoru Mitoma and Simon Adingra.
His off-the-ball movement and powerful strikes meant he could score from both within and outside the box. Under Potter, his acceleration and off-the-ball movement to meet through balls were excellent too.
Ferguson showed glimpses of his quality this season too, primarily in the lead-up to his only goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Tariq Lamptey’s pass was behind him, but Ferguson reacted brilliantly to meet it and fire an effort home.
Across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, Ferguson got 54 per cent of his shots on target and had a conversion rate of 17 per cent. West Ham have converted a little lower than nine per cent of their shots in the Premier League this season, the fourth-lowest in the division, and could do with Ferguson’s efficiency.
This deal does not come without concerns, though. Ferguson has had limited minutes all season and understandably looked out of rhythm when he played. Joining a struggling team mid-season will not help even with Potter there, but he has the tools needed to succeed.
Injury record — 20/50
Ferguson, 20, is less than a year removed from ligament surgery on his ankle that ruled him out for almost five months. He joins West Ham days after a month-long absence due to another ankle injury.
Market value — 39/50
Ferguson will join West Ham on a straight loan, with the club paying his salary and a loan fee along with potential add-ons. The Republic of Ireland international has had injury issues but has the talent to help West Ham in the short term.
Contract rationale – 42/50
A straight loan means West Ham do not have to worry about the finances of the deal in the long term, focusing instead on using Ferguson’s help to secure a top-10 Premier League finish — or at least, avoid the drop.
Ferguson has only joined West Ham on loan until the end of the season (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Recent form – 15/50
An ankle injury and the plethora of forward options at Brighton have seen Ferguson restricted to just two league starts and 237 minutes across 15 appearances. He scored once – in a 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers last October.
Gap-filling – 45/50
Michail Antonio’s absence following his car accident in December and Niclas Fullkrug’s hamstring injury have left West Ham with Danny Ings, who has scored once in 15 games across competitions, as their only recognised centre-forward.
Ferguson’s signing was a necessity but the big question mark will be his fitness. If he can stay fit, he will be their first-choice striker.
Excitement factor – 27/50
West Ham have not had much luck with expensive striker recruits from abroad so a sensible deal for a youngster with double-digit Premier League goals will breed excitement. There will be reservations too, though, given Ferguson’s recent injury history.
Future-proofing – 28/50
A straight loan suggests West Ham have prioritised the short term. They will likely need to return to the market in the summer for a striker given Antonio, Fullkrug and Ings are all on the wrong side of 30. If Ferguson hits form, his price will only increase too.
Rival impact – 25/50
Ferguson was the subject of interest from multiple clubs in England and around Europe, so West Ham will be pleased to have secured his signature. Their rivals will not be too worried, though, given their position in the table (15th, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and seven off the top 10).
Marketability – 9/50
West Ham fans have longed for a young striker. If Ferguson starts well, he will undoubtedly be the subject of plenty of social media content, especially given the quality he displayed in front of goal not long ago. That said, do not expect him to shift tons of club merchandise over a six-month loan.
Overall rating — 293/500
(Top photo: Getty Images)
