Arsenal target loan move for future £100m “superstar”

This season has been a trying one for Arsenal and their fans.

Mikel Arteta’s side have endured questionable decisions, a brutal fixture list, and a seemingly never-ending list of injured first-team players, yet they remain second in the Premier League.

Moreover, while Liverpool must now be considered overwhelming favourites for the league, there is still a chance, albeit an incredibly slim one, that the Gunners could chase them down over the next 16 games.

However, to do that, the board will need to sign some attacking reinforcements this month, so it’s fortunate that recent reports have linked the club to a young striker who was winning comparisons to the sublime Harry Kane just a couple of years ago.

Arsenal target striker prospect

According to a recent report from journalist and transfers expert Ben Jacobs, Arsenal are “assessing striker options for January.”

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One of the players who’s “of interest” to the Gunners is Brighton & Hove Albion youngster Evan Ferguson, but only if the south coast club sanction his exit.

If he is to be made available, the North Londoners would have to sign him on a permanent deal or send Neto back to Bournemouth, as Premier League clubs can only have two players on loan from other teams in the league at one time, and Raheem Sterling’s loan from Chelsea does not include a break-clause.

In all, signing Ferguson – who has been rated as highly as £100m – might not quite be what fans are hoping for this window, but the youngster has shown that he’s capable of scoring in the top flight and was winning comparisons to Kane just a couple of years ago.

How Ferguson compares to Kane

Okay, so before we take a look at some of the other reasons why Arsenal might want to sign Ferguson this month, let’s examine these comparisons to Kane and where they come from.

Well, one of the more notable claims of the Irishman’s similarities to the England captain came from former Liverpool striker John Aldridge, who in March 2023 described the then 18-year-old striker as “an Irish version of Harry Kane.”

Later that year, former Spurs star Gary Lineker suggested that the club should sign the Seagulls ace “as Kane’s replacement,” which is mighty high praise from a poacher as esteemed as the England legend.

With all that said, the main thrust of these comparisons to the Bayern Munich marksman is also the other reason why the Gunners are likely considering him this month: his output from a couple of years ago.

For example, in the 22/23 campaign, the £30k-per-week forward found the back of the net ten times and provided three assists in just 25 appearances, totalling 1345 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.92 games, or every 103.46 minutes.

However, even more impressive than that, he matched Wayne Rooney’s best tally of 11 league goals in a calendar year, although his average of one every 143 minutes was significantly better than the Englishman’s average of 175 minutes.

Now, the Seagulls star has struggled to match that level of output since, but he suffered two significant injuries last season, and as he’s still just 20, there is plenty of time for him to develop into the goalscoring “superstar” former professional Danny Murphy claimed he was two years ago.

Ultimately, it might not be the transfer fans are hoping for at the moment, but Arsenal are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements, and if Ferguson can show even some of the form he did prior to his injury setbacks, then Arteta will have a brilliant option to call upon, and should they opt to sign him on a permanent deal, then he might just become the Gunners own Kane.

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