Arsenal quit race for 'really good' loan-listed bagsman in major boost for West Ham transfer
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Arsenal are not expected to pursue a January loan move for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, despite reports that the Seagulls are willing to let the 20-year-old leave on a temporary basis in the New Year.
The Gunners had been linked with a big money move for a talisman to power their title charge this season over the summer window, but nothing came to fruition. Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres were just three names linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.
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Hide AdMikel Arteta and the club instead invested in the defence and in midfield with Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino arriving for a combined £75 million. Meanwhile, David Raya's loan move from Brentford was made permanent for £27 million.


With Arsenal already languishing behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race after a shaky start to the season, the need for a new bagsman up top has been reinforced. Ferguson, who has 13 goals to his name already despite his tender age, had been earmarked as a potential option.
The striker is out of favour at the AMEX Stadium and has managed just 116 minutes in the top flight, despite receiving praise from Fabian Huerzeler over the summer. The Brighton boss had said: “For me, the most important thing for a young player – and he's a young player – is his attitude and his character. When I see him working in the rehab, on the pitch, beside the pitch, that was impressive. And when we have video meetings, he's really into it. He tries to focus.
“He knows what we want from him. He's very interested in how our style of play is and you really feel that he wants to improve and that he's really into it. I heard a lot of positive things about him. I saw a lot of positive things and we try to help him. We try to improve him and then he can be a really good striker in the Premier League.”
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Hide AdWest Ham boost as Arsenal out of race
However, Ferguson hasn’t been able to follow up on that praise and now Brighton are believed to be willing to let the player leave on loan in January. A fresh report from GiveMeSport claims that Arsenal are no longer in that transfer race, despite the player being put on the loan list. The outlet claims that the Gunners will instead look at 'other options'.
That news comes as a boost for struggling West Ham. The London outfit are another side said to be interested in Ferguson as an option to fix their goalscoring woes.
Julen Lopetegui's side took 31 shots away at Leicester City on Tuesday night but scored just one late consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat. The Foxes are another club linked with a move for Ferguson, along with Southampton.
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