Manchester United was not in play on Tuesday night, but their fans had enough to keep them entertained, with Brighton’s 2-0 victory against Bournemouth standing out.
Brighton got within four points of Manchester United thanks to strikes from Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso. Ferguson’s attempt caught the attention of United fans, who were quick to start making wish lists for the summer transfer window when Wout Weghorst’s loan term ends.
Ferguson has had a d/r/a/m/a/t/i/c ascent this season at Brighton, moving from a relatively unknown teenager to a highly-rated striker in a matter of months. His goal was the Seagulls’ eighth of the season in only 17 appearances across all competitions.
Such statistics are excellent for an 18-year-old, but the goal itself demonstrated why he is getting interested in other teams. Kaoru Mitoma crossed from the left side of the penalty area – the ball was slightly behind Ferguson, who reacted quickly by nonchalantly flicking it with the inside of his left foot into the bottom corner.
The Republic of Ireland international finished with style, and United supporters are already hoping to recruit him this summer. “He’d start every week for us.” “I’m going to need him this summer,” one ecstatic admirer commented on Twitter.
“Name your price right now @OfficialBHAFC,” said another. “Get this dude, @ManUtd,” another said. “He’s intended for us,” one said simply. “I’m Evan Ferguson.” If SAF was still at Man United… that’s all I’m going to ᵴɑү,” another cryptically tweeted.
“As much as Harry Kane guarantees goals and would be a terrific acquisition, we may be better off investing £30/40m on Evan Ferguson &/or Ivan Toney (who both play higher up the manner Ten Hag prefers rather than dropping deep) and going all hard for [Jude] Bellingham…” said one supporter.
Ferguson is revered not just by his followers, but also by Kylian Mbappe. Ferguson was on international duty with Ireland last week, when they faced World Cup finalists France, and Mbappe praised Ferguson’s performance after he scored in the 3-2 victory against Latvia.
“We saw some of his plays, and he’s a talented striker,” Mbappe remarked. “We’ll be watchful of him, and hopefully we won’t see him too often.”
Brighton is aware of the interest in their rising star and is taking precautions to keep their competitors at bay. According to the Sun, the Seagulls are ready to offer the striker a new lucrative deal.
He just signed his first professional contract in October, which goes through June 2026, but his performance is expected to earn him another contract. Ferguson has been known to United for some time, having fought Liverpool and Chelsea to recruit him ahead of Brighton two years ago when he moved from Irish club Bohemians.
Thomas Tuchel’s statements during ‘exploratory’ conversations have given a ƅιоw to Manchester United’s transfer plans
Manchester United’s dreams of acquiring Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard look to have been dashed as Thomas Tuchel spoke lyrically about the Frenchman.
Pavard’s previous years at the Allianz Arena have been rocky, but he has been able to re-establish himself as a regular and is likely to be looking forward to the next chapter under new manager Tuchel, who started him from the start in his first game in charge. Pavard seemed to be getting back to his best as he helped Bayern overcome Borussia Dortmund 4-2 to take the Bundesliga lead.
Tuchel lavished praise on the 27-year-old after the game, telling reporters: “He [Pavard] is an underappreciated player. He can adapt to the greatest level and defends tenaciously. He is an excellent team player who instantly gained my trust and demonstrated that I was correct.”
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The remarks come at an intriguing moment for Pavard, who is said to be pondering his future with Bayern as the conclusion of his current deal approaches.
The World Cup champion is out of contract in the summer of 2024, so this summer represents Bayern’s final serious opportunity to cash in on Pavard. With this in mind, United’s interest is regarded to be concrete.
Because of the structure of Pavard’s contract, Bayern may be forced to sell the defender for significantly less than they would want, creating an excellent position for United.
Pavard’s adaptability is what appeals to those in charge at Old Trafford. He might be enticed by a fresh challenge, but United isn’t the only team keeping eye on the defender.
In reality, United is not the only Manchester-based team interested in pulling Pavard away from Bayern Munich, with Pep Guardiola’s City also connected with a deal for the technically skilled defender.
