Evan Ferguson to Celtic transfer timeline and when loan deal from Brighton could really be announced
The striker is likely to leave Brighton this summer as he looks to revive his career
Evan Ferguson could be a realistic target for Celtic before the end of the window.
But only if no other club take a gamble on the permanent transfer for the struggling Brighton star, according to Record Sport' s Keith Jackson.
The Ireland international made just three appearances for West Ham without scoring - after being shipped to London on loan after falling out of favour under Fabian Hurzeler.
The 20-year-old netted just one Premier League goal last season - a far cry from his breakthrough season in 2023/24 which saw the striker touted with £100million moves away from the AMEX Stadium.
That has lead to Celtic emerging as a potential destination for the frontman as he looks to kickstart his career.
Reflecting on Ferguson's early promise, Jackson told Hotline Live: "At that time, he was one of these guys that would come onto the pitch and visualise himself scoring a goal, as if he was going to manifest it.
"He knew he was going to score goals. He didn't think about it or overthink it - it was just all so natural to him at that point. He was phenomenal, and that is what he got the comparisons with Harry Kane.
"I don't think that was over the top at the time, because he was going goal for goal with Harry Kane at the time, and looking like a younger, stronger, faster version."
Host Daniel Caw felt that a loan move to the Scottish champions "made sense" for the campaign noting he would "fly" under Brendan Rodgers.
Jackson responded with a comparison to Max Aarons potential loan move from Bournemouth to Rangers - which has hit a roadblock over the Cherries' pursuit of a permanent exit.
He said: "I don't disagree, but as we said with Bournemouth and Aarons - these clubs are not in the business of doing favours for people.
"There would need to be a reason for Brighton to loan him out - I think he still has a few years left on his contract.
"If there is a manager down there who thinks they can make him a Premier League player, and they can get a fee that is similar with what Bournemouth are looking to do with Max Aarons right now - in terms of 'why would I put you out on loan if I think I can get £8million-£10million?'
"That is for a right-back, so what about a striker who has proven what he can do in the Premier League? What kind of price does that carry?
"If it gets to the end of the window, and nobody has taken a punt on him, that is when I think Celtic becomes a realistic possibility."
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
38 minutes ago
- The Sun
Premier League fixtures 2025/26 LIVE: Latest as Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd and rest learn fate for next season
THE Premier League is gearing up for another season of scintillating action - and the 2025/26 fixtures will be revealed SOON! Defending champions Liverpool will hope they are given a favoured list to help them retain the title. The chasing pack, including Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea will all learn their pathway to stopping the Reds from doing so While newcomers, Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley will also begin to plan their route to safety, as their opponents for the new season are revealed. 9 minutes ago By Nyle Smith It's 2025/26 Premier League fixtures time! Despite the 2024/25 season finishing less than a month ago and the Club World Cup taking place, everyone will be glued to their screens to find out what the 2025/26 Premier League fixtures will be… And we here at SunSport will be all over them! Fixtures for the Premier League will be released at 9am TODAY as supporters plot trips and book annual leave, with many visiting new grounds for the first time. The fixture list is always eagerly anticipated as fans discover when they'll play their rivals and decide who has been 'shafted' with difficult runs. Liverpool head into the new campaign as champions of England after Arne Slot 's side convincingly wrapped up the title with four games to spare. The Reds will be eagerly awaiting their opponents for the opening weekend as they begin their title defence and don the gold champions patch once again. Three new teams are set to join the Premier League following promotion from the Championship last season. Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland will mix it with the big boys once again as they replace Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester. Fans of the three promoted clubs are counting down the days until the fixtures are released as they prepare for trips to the likes of Anfield, Old Trafford, the Emirates, and many more!
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool star puts his foot down with fresh transfer message: "It's up to me!"
Liverpool have already signed Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili this summer but the Reds also have decisions to make when it comes to keeping hold of senior stars Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has indicated he will be the one to decide whether his future lies at Anfield, while reinforcing his plans to stay... for now. The Japan international struggled for Premier League minutes under Arne Slot last season and has been the subject of interest from Germany. The Japanese international, 32, joined Liverpool in Jurgen Klopp's final summer transfer window. He featured less regularly under Klopp's successor Arne Slot, though, playing just 260 Premier League minutes in the 2024-25 season 'I told you I'm staying!' Endo said at a Q&A event in Kanagawa, Japan, as quoted by Soccer Digest and translated by the Echo. 'If the club tells me to leave… No, I'm staying. I have a contract. It's up to me to make the final decision. Basically, I'm staying, for now. He also considered the season a success despite his lack of action, 'Looking back, I think it was a good season," he added. "I didn't have many opportunities to play at Liverpool. But in the end, we won the Premier League and qualified for the World Cup with the national team, so it was a great season that will lead to next season.' Back in January, Endo gave a pragmatic response to questions about his spell on the fringes of the team. "I don't get frustrated or anything like that, I always try to get ready to help the team,' he said after playing in an FA Cup win against Accrington Stanley. 'Of course I want to play every game but we need everyone in the squad. The thing I can do is prepare for every game. 'I think we played well, the players who don't play constantly have played very well so that is the most important thing for the team to achieve something. We need everybody so we need to get ready for every game that's coming.' Endo still has two years left on his Liverpool deal after joining from Stuttgart in 2023. A return to Germany has been touted, but he appears happy to stay and contribute where he can. The midfielder will be joined by a number of new team-mates next season. Jeremie Frimpong has already completed a permanent move from Bayer Leverkusen, while Florian Wirtz is on the verge of completing a Premier League record move from the same team. Liverpool have also added Giorgi Mamardashvili to their ranks this summer after the former Valencia goalkeeper agreed a move last year. His arrival has brought about the end of Caoimhin Kelleher's time at Anfield, with the Irish international moving to Brentford. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Max Aarons watched his dream move to Barcelona collapse & it didn't faze him – he'd thrive at Rangers says ex-Celtic ace
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MICHAEL McGOVERN stood behind Max Aarons when he made his professional debut as an unknown teenager. Just a fortnight later, the keeper looked on in awe as the defender truly kick-started his career with his first goal for Norwich City. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 3 Max Aarons is closing in on a move to Rangers on loan Credit: Getty 3 Michael McGovern played with the Rangers target at Norwich City Credit: Getty Images - Getty But nothing has impressed McGovern more than the way right-back Aarons, 25, handled the collapse of his dream move to BARCELONA. That's why the ex-Celtic goalie reckons his former Canaries team-mate is ideally suited for a leading role in Russell Martin's Rangers revolution. McGovern told SunSport: 'I was there when Max made his debut against Stevenage, and also when he scored his first goal against Cardiff. 'He's a good boy and I used to sit beside him in the dressing room. He was always well thought of at Norwich. 'Max was in a group of young players like Jamal Lewis, Ben Godfrey and Todd Cantwell — up-and-coming boys who were destined to move on to great things. There was a lot of talk of them all moving on to bigger clubs. Max probably moved on last, even though there was a lot of interest in him.' The most high-profile interest came from the continent, with Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen both watching Aarons. But Barca boss Ronald Koeman was first to make his move, with the loan deal five years ago only collapsing due to the fact there was no obligation to buy at the end of it. McGovern added: 'I know for a fact that Barcelona offered to take him on loan a few years ago. They were struggling financially at the time, and couldn't sign players permanently in that window. 'Max had probably stayed at Norwich a season or two longer than he should have for his own development. He eventually moved to Bournemouth when Norwich were relegated. 'If Barca try to take you on loan but your club says, 'No', a lot of players would have gone kicking and screaming to the owner, sporting director, or the people who make the decisions. Rangers captain James Tavernier spotted training with ex-team-mate and old Premiership rival Ryan Porteous who branded him 'bad loser' 'Some players would have said they are not playing or not training properly. 'But Max didn't do any of that when the move fell through. It's all credit to him and his character. 'As much as he was really disappointed, he just got his head down and worked hard.' Former England Under-21 cap Aarons — who looks set to join Gers on loan — finally left Carrow Road for the Cherries in a £7million deal. He starred in the Premier League again, before falling out of favour with boss Andoni Iraola and he headed out on loan to Valencia. McGovern said: 'Max went for £7m in the end, but at that stage he only had a year left on his contract at Norwich. I'm pretty sure there were offers in previous seasons of a lot more than £7m. 'If he goes to Rangers, they are signing a player who still has a lot of potential. 'That's obvious given Max has moved for £7m and his club knocked back even bigger offers previously. 'He has maybe lost his way a little bit in the last year or two — but that's because he hasn't played so much football. 3 'Clubs in Scotland probably wouldn't get a player with as much potential if the circumstances were different. 'But Rangers would be getting a player who just needs someone to show belief in him. 'If they do that with Max, I'm sure he will repay their faith with some top-quality performances.' Cherries right-back Aarons — who can also play on the left — is likely to join on loan and will present a challenge to Gers skipper James Tavernier. He was out of favour at the Vitality Stadium and spent the second part of last season in La Liga, although he started only two games for Valencia. Now 25, Aarons spoke recently of the influence former Norwich captain Martin had on his career as a teenager. Despite never playing together in the Canaries' first team, he has described the Gers gaffer as a 'father figure'. McGovern, who spent seven years with Norwich, said: 'Towards the end of his time at the club, Russ was put in the reserves and had to train with the Under-23s. Moment Ally McCoist interrupts live radio to congratulate his 'wee pal' on signing for Rangers 'Max was in the Under-23s at the time and that was when their paths crossed. He has spoken in the past about the captain training with them. 'It could have been a dent to his pride, but Russ carried himself in the right manner — as he always did — and that stuck with Max. 'I still stay in touch with him. I always got on really well with him at Norwich and he's just a great lad. 'I really hope that he starts to play a lot of games next season for Rangers.' McGovern thought Aarons and Martin would have been reunited long before a potential reunion at Ibrox this summer. The former Northern Ireland No 1 added: 'I'm pretty sure Russ was interested in signing Max back when he was the Southampton manager. 'There was talk of Kyle Walker-Peters leaving the club and Max coming in to replace him, but it just never happened.' Aarons returned to the Cherries last month after his short spell in Spain. It included a 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu when he went toe to toe with Vinicius Jr. But it also saw Valencia lose 7-1 at champions Barca, with Aarons now looking set for a reunion with father figure Martin in Glasgow. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
