Five reasons why Evan Ferguson is the perfect striker for Manchester United

The Irish youngster is one of the players that the club is looking to sign in the forward role.

Manchester United desperately needs a new striker upfront. Anthony Martial’s injury struggles and Wout Weghorst’s lack of goals are hurting the team’s attacking output. As it stands, the club has only 42 goals in 28 Premier League matches, the least amongst all the top four teams. 

According to multiple reports, Evan Ferguson is one of the players who is likely to sign for the Red Devils in the summer transfer window. In order to provide support to Marcus Rashford and add more versatility in attack, there are several players that the club is weighing up for the forward position. 

Some of them are going to cost a lot and MUFC does not have the liberty to spend a big amount on one individual considering the investment that needs to be done in other areas of the squad. Therefore, Evan Ferguson could be the perfect striker for MUFC and here are five reasons why:

Support for Marcus Rashford

Manchester United has a huge task of finding the perfect striker that will score goals and relieve some of the pressure from Marcus Rashford. The in-form attacker has 28 goals from 47 appearances in all competitions, his best season in terms of attacking output.

While Marcus Rashford is enjoying the freedom upfront, he needs a target man to combine with. Evan Ferguson’s hold-up play will allow Rashford to exploit spaces behind the backline and cause mayhem with his pace. 

A proven Premier League goalscorer

Evan Ferguson has four goals and two assists in 11 Premier League appearances. In terms of goals and assists in all competitions across various competitions, the Irish international has 14 goals and five assists in 26 outings.

He took 28 minutes to score Brighton & Hove Albion’s first goal in a 2-0 away win at AFC Bournemouth. If MUFC brings in a striker that is already scoring goals for fun in the Premier League, it could eliminate the settling period that a few individuals from other leagues might take. 

Potential for growth

Evan Ferguson is only 18 years old. He has incredible potential and can grow into one of the finest strikers in Europe. He is excelling on the international stage too and has become central to Ireland’s senior team with one goal in three international caps.

His market value as of writing this piece stands at €10.00m, the fourth-highest in the Premier League for U-19 players. Playing under Erik Ten Hag, who has a track record of developing young players at AFC Ajax and Manchester United, will be beneficial for Ferguson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlSVLWbzYuc

Cheaper alternative

Ewan Ferguson will cost lesser than other strikers on Manchester United’s transfer list. Players such as Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen will cost more than €100m due to their transfer value. There will also be a huge battle for the aforementioned two players and MUFC may end up paying more than they intend to sign them.

It is worth remembering that the Red Devils cannot overspend in one position. They have to invest and sign a midfielder, a goalkeeper and a wide forward. Furthermore, the club can only spend big money if there are outgoings. In such a scenario, Ferguson would be the perfect choice whose market value stands at €10.00m for now. 

Attacking threat

One of the areas where Manchester United is struggling in the 2022-23 campaign is creating clear chances and converting them. The ball possession is not translating into chances which adds more pressure on the team. Furthermore, the strikers are not taking their chances and lack conviction in their finishing. 

Ewan Ferguson on the other hand positions himself well in the box and loves to pounce on opportunities to score, a trait of a natural No.9. His expected goals are 3.21(xG) and a 20% goal conversion rate back his abilities. All four of his first four goals in the Premier League have come from inside the box which suggests he is lethal with his movement and finishing, something that MUFC needs more of.