Tony Cottee buzzing as ‘West Ham United set to complete’ era-defining transfer
Tony Cottee believes signing Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton could be the “start of a new era” for West Ham United.
The 20-year-old is now set to join the ranks at the London Stadium after a loan agreement was reached with Brighton on 2 Ferbuary [Fabrizio Romano].
West Ham will cover 100 per cent of the forward’s wages until the end of the season, and despite there being no purchase option in the deal, ex-Irons man Cottee couldn’t contain his excitement as he reacted to the news via X (2 February).
Writing: “At last, we’ve got a young, top-quality striker! I’m a big fan, and potentially Evan can lead the line for the Hammers for the next 10 years if he has a good end to the season and we sign him in the summer on a permanent deal… The start of a new era, hopefully…”
West Ham United can kick on with Evan Ferguson
Finally, the Hammers found their man to lead the front line at the London Stadium.
Although Ferguson has managed only one Premier League goal this term, his game time at the Amex has been limited, with Fabian Hurzeler preferring to have Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck up top.
The Republic of Ireland international was handed his first-team opportunity on the South Coast by Potter and will now be tasked with scoring goals to keep the Irons out of the relegation zone.
Potter’s influence in the deal cannot be understated, as he thwarted emerging interest from Arsenal, sparking fears within East London that the Premier League giants could hijack the deal [Jacob Steinberg].
He has all the tools to become an instant success at West Ham and will greatly benefit from Potter’s trust and a run of consistent first-team football.
However, the Irons are not done just yet, with two further signings eyed after Ferguson’s arrival to ensure the squad is well positioned to launch a resurgence up the Premier League table in the remainder of the season [Dharmesh Sheth].
Nevertheless, West Ham will undoubtedly pursue a permanent deal for Ferguson should he reach the heights expected of him in East London.
The Hammers faithful should be overjoyed – one of the brightest talents in English football will be playing in claret and blue this season.
In other West Ham news, the Irons “to pay £35m” as full Eli Junior Kroupi transfer terms are disclosed.
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