While the nation's Sky Sports subscribers were put through a fourth successive goalless draw between Chelsea and Liverpool on Tuesday night, Brighton & Hove Albion were busy continuing their unimaginable pursuit of European football.
The Seagulls moved to within just four points of the Champions League places with a routine 2-0 win over south coast rivals Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. Starlet Evan Ferguson netted the opening goal before Paraguayan youngster Julio Enciso put the contest beyond doubt in second half injury time.
Although the main headline of the evening was that the Seagulls had moved to within four points of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in the standings, much of the attention was focused on Ferguson and his latest eye-catching moment. He broke the deadlock after 27 minutes with a flicked finish after meeting Kaoru Mitoma's low cross.
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Unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before replays of Ferguson's impressive finish were sweeping their way through the United hashtag on Twitter. A growing number of United supporters have been vocal about the 18-year-old in recent weeks and many of them believe he could be an option for the club to keep an eye on ahead of the summer.
As every man and his dog now knows, United are going to prioritise the addition of a new striker this forthcoming summer. Reds boss Erik ten Hag is desperate to strengthen his forward options and he has earmarked Tottenham Hotspur ace Harry Kane as his preferred target.
Kane, along with Napoli ace Victor Osimhen, has cemented himself as one of the frontrunners to become the leading face of United's forward line next season, but the Reds know they will have their work cut out trying to negotiate a deal with Daniel Levy to extract Kane from north London. Nevertheless, Spurs' ongoing troubles, both on and off the pitch, might convince Kane that enough is enough, resulting in him trying to force an exit.
If that happens and Kane, who has scored 24 goals in all competitions this season, joins United, the club will inherit one of the most deadliest strikers on the planet. The England captain, regardless of the cost, would guarantee Ten Hag goals, that there is no debate about.
However, United have to remain mindful of the fact that Kane will be 30 by the time next season gets underway. How many seasons would they get out of him performing at the peak of his powers? Three or four?
If that proves to be the case, United will find themselves in the exact same position again in a few years time, looking for an elite-level striker that could, for the sake or argument, serve them for a decade. With that in mind, you can understand why so many United fans believe Osimhen is a better option this summer.
But sticking with the hypothetical scenario that Kane is United's chosen one this summer, Brighton starlet Ferguson could prove to be a ready-made replacement for the England striker in a few years time, perhaps firstly joining the club as a back-up option to the former and then picking up the baton as the main man a few years later when he has learnt from one of the best in the business. The Republic of Ireland international is one of the most exciting prospects in the Premier League at this moment in time and his opener against Bournemouth was his eighth goal in 17 games this season in all competitions, four of which have come in just 11 league appearances.
Despite not turning 19 until October, Ferguson is already making tremendous strides for a player of his age, so much so that only Erling Haaland has a better minutes-per-goal-involvement ratio in the Premier League this season, with the youngster having racked up four goals and two assists in just 11 matches. It is a very impressive return for a player who was a complete unknown not long ago.
He is one of the most exciting prospects in the division and it is surely only a matter of time before the Premier League's elite start knocking on Brighton's door for another one of their star assets? At only 18, however, it is important not to jump the gun too quickly, even though Ferguson is already showing signs that he could be the real deal.
But if he continues to thrive between now and the end of the season, he might be an option for United to seriously consider come the summer, not necessarily for the here and now, but for the future. Whoever United turn to in a bad to strengthen their forward line this summer, Ferguson could be the perfect heir to their throne.
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