West Ham United managed to bolster their attacking department during the final day of the January transfer window.
The Irons have a horrible history of signing centre forwards and that hasn’t improved with a certain German named Nicklas Fullkrug.
Well, with the striker injured, they’ve been keen to boost their options at the top end of the pitch and they did so by signing Brighton and Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson on a loan deal until the end of the season.
His arrival will give Graham Potter a big boost, especially if the Republic of Ireland international centre-forward can stay fit and healthy.
What Evan Ferguson can bring to West Ham United
Ferguson hasn’t exactly enjoyed the most productive of seasons on the South Coast. A series of injuries have restricted him to just 15 appearances in all competitions, scoring just one goal in the process.
While this term and 2023/24 have been hampered by injury problems, when Ferguson burst onto the scene during the 2022/23 campaign, he was a breath of fresh air.
Ten goals and three assists for the Seagulls in just 25 games as a teenager looked like it had set the striker on the path to greatness, with a series of big clubs already showing interest.
While things haven’t exactly gone to plan over the previous 18 months or so, if Potter can get Ferguson to bring the sort of form that he showcased in his maiden season, West Ham may have made one of the best signings of the window as they strive to score more goals.
|
Most PL goals in a year: Teenagers only |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Year |
Goals |
Mins per goal |
|
Michael Owen |
1998 |
25 |
126 |
|
Robbie Fowler |
1994 |
22 |
140 |
|
Nicolas Anelka |
1998 |
12 |
221 |
|
Francis Jeffers |
1999 |
12 |
172 |
|
Wayne Rooney |
2005 |
11 |
175 |
|
Evan Ferguson |
2023 |
11 |
143 |
However, has the club already sold their own version of Ferguson?
West Ham’s very own Evan Ferguson
A certain Divin Mubama made his senior debut for the Irons during the 2022/23 season, but it wasn’t until the following season that he began to enjoy more minutes under David Moyes.
During that term, Mubama scored 30 goals for the first team, U21s and U18s, being instrumental to the success of the latter two sides.
He even won the Mark Noble Award due to his impressive displays, with Academy Manager Kenny Brown lavishing praise on the forward, saying: “He has truly enjoyed an incredible season and he’s a great personality too.”
The 20-year-old made 12 first-team appearances for the club throughout 2023/24, although he failed to get on the scoresheet or grab an assist.
His contract expired at the end of last season and, despite his early promise at the club, it was soon announced that he had departed West Ham along with Ben Johnson after rejecting a contract extension.
Manchester City soon snapped him up, with the two clubs agreeing on a compensation fee of just £1.2m for the Englishman.
Mubama has already made two appearances under Pep Guardiola, no mean feat given the players at his disposal, even scoring against Salford City in the FA Cup last month.
If he continues performing and impressing the Spaniard, more game time in the first team could come between now and the end of the season.
There is no doubt that failing to keep the 20-year-old will turn out to be a poor decision by the Irons and considering they’ve now loaned in another top young prospect, a player who is coincidentally the same age, perhaps they will regret not tying their academy prospect down.
Related
After Ferguson: West Ham plot bid to sign their biggest talent since Rice
It’s deadline day, and Graham Potter is looking to make more than one West Ham signing.
