Tottenham reportedly had the opportunity to sign Evan Ferguson when he was 15 years old but pulled out of a prospective deal due to concerns over his physical potential.
According to Football Insider, Tottenham passed over the chance to sign Brighton sensation Evan Ferguson three years ago amid claims the Lilywhites had serious doubts over his physical development.
Regarded as one of the Premier League’s most exciting young centre-forwards, the teenage star is currently growing his reputation excellently, with Football Finance expert Kieran Maguire lavishing high praise for his sky-high potential and comparing his style of play to “a young Shearer” with a potential value of “well over £100 million.”
Maguire said to Football Insider, “If his development continues, then in a year’s time the club won’t stand in his way of a move. He’s got all the attributes of a young Shearer and Alan Shearer in today’s market at the age of 19 would be worth well over £100 million.”
Indeed, Ferguson has already been linked with a fair few blockbuster moves, with a raft of top Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City, said to be keeping tabs on his progress. Meanwhile, Manchester United were credited with a potential move this past summer.
However, it has now surfaced that Tottenham spurned the opportunity to beat Brighton with the signing of Ferguson when he was still in his mid-teens. The North London club had been watching the target man when he was bursting onto the scene at Bohemians in his homeland as a youth prospect, with the Lilywhites talent spotters impressed by the potential being displayed by the then-15-year-old and reckoned he had the potential to make it to the very top.
They were firmly in the chase to lure him to England; however, talks over a possible deal stalled when some scouts at Tottenham expressed doubts over the likelihood of Ferguson’s physicality and stature growing much further and whether his skillset would compensate and stand up to the rigours of Premier League football.
Ultimately, it was Brighton & Hove Albion who swooped in to bring the gifted Irishman to the Premier League in early 2021. And he has not looked back since. Now 18 years old and standing tall at 6ft 2in, Ferguson is being carefully nurtured by Roberto de Zerbi.
He has made just 23 league appearances so far and has ten goals and four assists to his name, including one in their 2023/24 opener against Luton Town, and more recently hit the headlines with a stunning hat-trick in their 3-1 win over Newcastle highlighting that talent just before the international break.
Interestingly, Spurs touched base with Brighton last month to enquire whether they would be open to selling their young talent, whom they viewed as a potential Harry Kane replacement due to his technical ability.
However, the Seagulls rejected the Lilywhites’ approach as they were tempted to keep him this season in the hope this could be his breakout campaign, which would allow them to demand an even higher fee next summer. And yet again, their transfer call was absolutely spot on, with Ferguson becoming the latest Brighton star to attract widespread acclaim and transfer attention with a mega-money move next summer.
Having sold Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for a British-record transfer fee, it wouldn’t be a surprise that the Seagulls would demand an even bigger fee for Ferguson, whom they believe has the potential to be a future star.
