Fabrizio Romano says £45m star 'expected to leave' Brighton this week amid Arsenal and Everton links

Evan Ferguson looks set to leave Brighton & Hove Albion this week, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Romano, who has developed a reputation as the leading journalist for transfer news, said in a post on X in the early hours of Monday morning that the Republic of Ireland striker will leave in the next days. There is genuine interest from several clubs with contact made from teams in the Premier League, Ligue One and Bundesliga according to the Italian transfer correspondent.

The Seagulls' league rivals Arsenal, Everton, and West Ham have all been linked with a move for the forward over the last few months. Ben Jacobs, a Football Correspondent for Give Me Sport, said that the Gunners are still keeping an eye on him, and that Brighton would right now command a fee of around £45m.

Graham Potter was asked about Ferguson at the start of the month but was respectful and didn’t want to comment on a player that was his. Potter was the manager who gave Ferguson his debut at Brighton, but it was Roberto De Zerbi who he thrived under.

Has Brighton's position changed?

At the end of November, Fabian Hurzeler said that Ferguson would not be leaving on loan, amid a report from the Telegraph claiming that Brighton would be open to him leaving.

With Romano claiming that the front-man is on his way out on loan, it looks like their position has changed somewhat. Hurzeler was asked last week about the players future, and he said: “Let’s see what happens.

“In the end in our offensive line there are still some players, not on the highest level, still some players suffering with small issues.

“Therefore we have to wait. Also, Evan is not fit yet so we still have some days until the window is closed and until then we have to figure out what is the situation at the moment, what do we need for the rest of the season and then also what do the players want and then it’s about making the decision together.”

Evan Ferguson’s career to date at Brighton

The 20-year-old has unfortunately endured a campaign that has been impacted by injuries. He missed the start of the campaign with an ankle problem, and that's what has has kept him sidelined since before the New Year.

Ferguson hasn't played since coming on as a substitute in the 1-1 draw with West Ham on December 21. Since then, he's missed seven games across all competitions. His record in front of goals this season is one goal in 14 games, with only four of those coming as starts.

A loan move might do Ferguson a world of good as he looks to recapture his form from previous seasons. For back-to-back seasons, he scored six league goals in each campaign, in addition to the four he scored in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. Ferguson still has a long-term contract with Brighton, having signed an extension until the summer of 2029 back in November 2023.