Aston Villa open door for West Ham to seal deadline-busting deal - Ornstein

West Ham will have Aston Villa to thank for securing the signing of Evan Ferguson, according to David Ornstein.

The reporter shared in The Athletic (2 February) that Bayern Leverkusen had also been interested in a move for the Brighton striker and with links between their man Victor Boniface and Al Nassr, it was a pressing deal.

However, with the Saudi Arabian side signing Jhon Duran from Aston Villa instead, that has left Bayern Leverkusen not needing Ferguson, therefore opening the door for the Hammers to move in.

Graham Potter's side are now in advanced talks to sign his former player [Fabrizio Romano, 2 February] with Dharmesh Sheth reporting (2 February) that the striker is travelling to London for a medical.

Evan Ferguson set for West Ham move

The Irons have been linked with Ferguson throughout this transfer window so to be finally getting a deal over the line will be a relief for the boss, even if that has been aided by decisions taken by other teams.

Getting attacking reinforcement through the door has been a key issue for Potter as he is without Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkurg, leaving his side very light up top.

The 20-year-old hasn't had the season he would've hoped for with Brighton this term, scoring just one goal in 13 appearances with the likes of Danny Welbeck, Joao Pedro and Georginio Rutter all preferred options.

However, he has shown his abilities before now with 17 goals in 80 first-team appearances and 18 caps for the Republic of Ireland national team.

Therefore, having previously worked with Potter will surely give the youngster a boost upon a move to East London and if his boss can unleash his best form, this could be a very successful transfer.

In other West Ham news, the Hammers have launched a mammoth bid to sign Eli Junior Kroupi.

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