West Ham 'interested' in landing highly-rated striker in January as dream transfer stopgap

West Ham have been linked with a move for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, who is reportedly unhappy with the lack of game time he is getting under Fabian Hurzeler at the fourth-placed side.

Meanwhile, the Hammers have struggled for goals so far this season, with £27 million signing Niclas Fullkrug struggling with injury and reportedly unsettled during his time at the London Stadium so far, making just three Premier League appearances so far.

West Ham have had an underwhelming start to the season under Julen Lopetegui who is under pressure following a 5-2 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend. Ferguson could be signed in January with a move that would benefit both the Hammers and the Republic of Ireland international.

According to Football Insider, West Ham are keeping tabs on his situation at Brighton and are among the clubs interested in Ferguson, who could leave on loan in January. The report suggests that the Irishman wants to leave but to another top Premier League team, rather than moving abroad.

The 20-year-old has so far made eight Premier League appearances this season, scoring one goal. However, his best season came two years ago when he was 18 under Roberto De Zerbi - a campaign in which he scored 16 goals in 34 games in all competitions.

The promising attacker wants to recapture some of that form and a temporary move away could be the ideal decision for both him and Brighton in order to maximise his potential. The Hammers are said to be keen to add a striker this winter, and they have also been linked to Lyon attacker and Georgia international Georges Mikautadze.

Transfer interest in Ferguson from Premier League rivals

West Ham aren’t the only side thought to be keeping an eye on Ferguson, however, as London rivals Chelsea had an interest in signing him permanently during the summer transfer window. However, they could reignite their pursuit of the attacker, especially considering that he is reportedly very keen to leave the Amex Stadium.

According to a recent report by Caught Offside, Brighton would prefer to let Ferguson leave on a loan move. However, they have placed a £60m price tag on him should a team such as Chelsea or West Ham decide to make a permanent bid for his services.

Meanwhile, Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City could also pursue the attacker in January, but this would only be on a loan deal as the former United interim manager looks to add more firepower to his squad in an attempt to avoid relegation back to the Championship.