Man Utd striker target agrees ‘long-term contract’, with plan for next season to tee up future deal

Brighton striker Evan Ferguson

A striker Man Utd were showing strong interest in has agreed a new, long-term contract with his current club, though the plan for next season could tee up a move to Old Trafford in 2024, per reports.

Signing a top class centre-forward is priority number one at Manchester United this summer. Loanee Wout Weghorst has not shown enough to warrant being signed outright. Anthony Martial, meanwhile, has reportedly been put up for sale.

With Marcus Rashford arguably most potent when cutting in from the left wing, the idea of signing an elite-level striker along with a young and promising back-up option had been floated.

One player who’d fit the latter category is Brighton’s Evan Ferguson. According to the Daily Mail, Man Utd and Tottenham were showing strong interest in the 18-year-old phenom.

Ferguson has racked up a mightily impressive 11 goal contributions in just 996 minutes of action for the Seagulls in senior action this term. That equates to a healthy goal contribution every 90.5 minutes – a truly remarkable return for someone so young.

But while Man Utd and Spurs were sizing Ferguson up, Brighton were moving behind the scenes to tie the Irish international down to fresh terms.

Ferguson’s current contract does not expire until 2026. However, the Belfast Telegraph reported a new deal would soon be tabled and Ferguson was expected to be receptive to their offer.

Now, a fresh update from the Telegraph has revealed Ferguson has ‘agreed a fresh long-term contract at the AMEX’.

How many years have been added to Ferguson’s deal isn’t stated, though it’s stressed pen has indeed been put to paper. Fabrizio Romano subsequently tweeted an agreement is ‘imminent’ and is ‘set to be completed soon’.

But while Ferguson is clearly off the table for the likes of Man Utd this summer, it may be a different story in the not too distant future.

When explaining why Ferguson was poised to snub a move away from Brighton, the Daily Mail claimed he’s fully aware the regular minutes he’s getting under Roberto De Zerbi are working wonders for his development.

The Telegraph added the plan is for Ferguson to remain with Brighton next season, though beyond that, all bets are off.

The new deal will strengthen Brighton’s bargaining position come 2024 and beyond. At that point, Ferguson will have far greater experience to his name and may at that stage be receptive to joining a bigger club and taking the next step in his career.

MAN UTD TRANSFERS: Ten Hag in striker dreamland as star capable of rivalling Haaland rejects Euro giants in favour of Old Trafford switch