Man Utd's former £50m transfer target set for loan move after fall from grace

Brighton frontman Evan Ferguson will be allowed to leave on loan in January after continuing to be overlooked by Fabian Hurzeler.

The Republic of Ireland striker enjoyed a swift rise into the first-team picture and looked set to become a mainstay, but the new man in the dugout has only used him sporadically and Ferguson is now well down the pecking order at the Amex.

Ferguson only signed a six-year deal in November of last year, which was seen as a coup for the club as major outfits circled, but now the 20-year-old is behind Danny Welbeck, Georginio Rutter and Joao Pedro in the mind of Hurzeler, who has only handed him one start.

Manchester United pondered a £50million move for Ferguson late in the summer, even after they landed the signature of Joshua Zirkzee. Goals has remained an issue for them this season and a new striker is likely to be on their shortlist once again following their change of manager.

The Irishman is desperate for more minutes and, to aid his development, the Seagulls would be willing to let Ferguson leave on loan come the New Year, reports the Telegraph. They view him as a £60million asset but there are several clubs who would take him, even if only for a matter of months. United themselves are likely to pursue Viktor Gyokeres, but may view Ferguson as a strong alternative.

Brighton's impressive form has meant it has been hard to criticise Hurzeler's selection decisions. Injuries have slowed Ferguson's progression this year but he has shown his quality - his hat-trick against Newcastle in September last year means he's only the fourth 18-year-old in Premier League history to hit a treble.

The Seagulls have no intention of selling their striker, but his progress has evidently stalled. That wasn't helped by an injury which meant he missed much of the pre-season under Hurzeler, which came after he was a favourite of former manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Brighton's former boss claimed Ferguson “had a very big future ahead of him" when he put pen to paper on a new deal late last year. The club's technical director David Weir added: “Evan is a brilliant young talent and we are delighted for him.

“He’s shown his ability at club and international level, after breaking into the team at the start of the year, and we are looking forward to working with him and watching his continued progress.”

Brighton are currently fifth, one point off Manchester City in second, as Hurzeler continues to impress in the early stages of his tenure. He's helped Welbeck discover his best form with the ex-Manchester United frontman scoring six times for the Seagulls.