Chelsea They have been one of the in-form teams in front of goal so far in the 2024/25 Premier League season. According to Sovascor, Enzo Maresca The team has scored 38 goals in the top flight, bettered by only two teams. They are Liverpool with 45 and Tottenham Hotspur with 41.
Cole Palmer, who has 12 goals to his name, and Nicholas Jackson, who has nine goals in the Championship, have He bore a lot of the burden of scoring goals. It is certain that the Senegalese striker is the only striker to have scored more than two goals in the league for Chelsea.
They are reportedly looking to add another striker to their squad to complement those goals.
Chelsea are targeting a new striker
The player in question here is the Brighton and Hove Albion star, Evan Ferguson. The Irishman has struggled to find his best form over the past two seasons, as injuries affected his playing time. However, he is still a player with high potential.
With that in mind, it may come as no surprise that Chelsea are looking to sign him in January to increase their goal threat. According to a report from Graeme BaileyThe Blues are one of the teams “monitoring the Ferguson situation” as the winter period begins.
However, they will face stiff competition from other Premier League teams. Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle United and Fulham are also interested, and West Ham United are said to have made contact.
The Seagulls are believed to be open to a loan deal which could include an option or commitment to buy the striker at the end of his temporary transfer.
Why would Ferguson be a good signing?
Since bursting onto the scene in the 2022/23 season, it has not been an easy journey for the 20-year-old Ferguson. He missed 17 matches for club and country last season, a total of 164 days With two separate injuries.
With that being said, his talent is clearly evident. In 79 appearances for Brighton so farHe has 17 goals and five assists, coming in 3,525 minutes, which equates to just 39.1 90-minute games. This equates to an average of one regret every 90 minutes, which is a strong record.
Indeed, his breakout campaign in 2022/23 has been impressive. he Played 25 times For the Seagulls first team, where he scored ten goals and provided four assists. That includes six goals in 19 Premier League matches.
In fact, he was so good that season that comparisons can be drawn between the Irishman and one of the best strikers in the Premier League, Erling Haaland. The Norwegian himself was brilliant in his first season in England, scoring 36 goals In only 35 matches.
Expectations were different for both ahead of the 2022/23 season. No one really thought Ferguson would go on to have the decisive finish he did, but suddenly he exploded.
Haaland had every expectation on him, as a big-money player known for scoring goals week after week.
husband Can be compared on FBref For their exceptional campaigns in their first full season in the Premier League.
For example, the Brighton striker had a non-penalty expected goals of 0.5npxG per 90 minutes and averaged 1.61 shots on target per game. Haaland isn't far ahead, as he averages 0.75npxG and 1.72 shots on target per game.
Comparison of Ferguson and Haaland's key statistics for the 2022/23 season in the English Premier League |
||
---|---|---|
State (per 90) |
Ferguson |
Haaland |
Goals and assists |
0.75 |
1.43 |
Expected goals other than penalty kicks |
0.5npxG |
0.75 n pixel c |
Shots on goal |
1.61 |
1.72 |
Goals per shot |
0.17 |
0.25 |
Snapshot creation procedures |
2.08 |
2.34 |
Statistics from FBref |
Ferguson is clearly a player rated by his peers. Kylian Mbappe I already noticed his talent, He described it as a “A very good striker” before Ireland and France play again in 2023. That is high praise indeed from one of the world's leading strikers.
This could be a smart loan signing for the Blues. Ferguson could help add to the goals scored by Jackson and Palmer, while also not being under the pressure of being a first-choice striker. His talent is there, and perhaps it can be discovered again at Stamford Bridge.