Despite only drawing 2-2 with Spurs at the weekend, Manchester United will be able to take plenty of positives from the performance, particularly in attack.
It is well known that Erik ten Hag is on the lookout for reinforcements in January, with a number nine high on the list.
Serhou Guirassy and Joshua Zirkzee are reported targets, but it is a Premier League prospect that the Red Devils now have their eye on.
Man United’s striker search – January bid made
According to Football Transfers, Man United have launched a rather audacious loan bid to bring Evan Ferguson to the club from Brighton.
Unfortunately, the Seagulls declined the approach, with Chelsea also mirroring United’s strategy, with a permanent deal being the only way the Irish striker leaves the club.
Previous reports have indicated the south coast club may only be willing to sell if a remarkable £100m price tag is met.
As a result, all fingers point towards a move this summer due to the financial fair play guidelines that will restrict the Red Devils.
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Evan Ferguson: vs Man Utd U21s |
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|---|---|
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Games |
4 |
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Wins |
0 |
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Draws |
2 |
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Losses |
2 |
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Goals |
1 |
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Assists |
1 |
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Stats via Transfermarkt. |
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Ferguson vs Hojlund
Rasmus Hojlund made the big-money switch to Old Trafford in the summer, signing from Atalanta for a huge £72m. However, his start to life in Manchester hasn’t exactly gone according to plan for the 20-year-old, as he has only netted twice in 16 league appearances.
Having said that, the Danish star has scored in back-to-back games now, and his confidence seems to be much improved. His strike against Spurs oozed class, hammering the ball into the roof of the net.
On the other hand, Brighton’s 19-year-old has scored triple the number of goals Hojlund has, six, despite starting five games fewer. The number 28 boasts an average minutes per game of just 54, with Roberto De Zerbi managing the youngster’s time on the field, but the Republic of Ireland international has now gone nine games without a goal.
The potential arrival of Ferguson would be bad news for Hojlund in particular, especially as he is currently enduring his best spell in a United shirt, and based on their profiles, they wouldn’t feature alongside each other in Ten Hag’s system. The table below shows why, using statistics from the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
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Ferguson vs Hojlund |
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|---|---|---|
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Stats (per 90) |
Ferguson |
Hojlund |
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Goals |
0.56 |
0.16 |
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xG |
0.34 |
0.26 |
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Goals per shot |
0.23 |
0.10 |
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Assists |
0.00 |
0.08 |
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Touches |
29.97 |
22.68 |
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Passes completed |
16.15 |
11.18 |
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Pass completion % |
84.4% |
76.0% |
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Stats via FBref |
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Based on the stats above, it is clear that the two strikers are more traditional centre forwards who rarely get involved in the build-up of play, as highlighted by their low touches and passes completed.
They also aren’t the type to create for their teammates, but that could be due to their age and lack of experience at the highest level thus far. That said, Ferguson does seem to retain the ball very well, unlike Hojlund, who is wasteful at times.
Ferguson is more of a clinical finisher than Hojlund, and he ranks rather highly for goals per shot. A striker overperforming his xG is also a sign that a player only needs half a chance to score, and the former Atalanta star has unfortunately underperformed in that regard this season. That differs a great deal from the Brighton attacker who has been labelled “prolific” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.
Despite Ferguson clearly being an exciting prospect and a potential upgrade on the Dane, signing a player who offers a very similar style of play to Hojlund wouldn’t make much sense in United’s current situation. The team needs a more experienced attacker who the number 11 can learn from on and off the field, not a loan deal for another young star.