Manchester United had a £50 million bid for Evan Ferguson 'laughed off' by Brighton, according to reports.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Erik ten Hag remained interested in signing Ferguson, despite signing 20-year-old Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta in a deal worth a reported £72m this summer.
Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail claimed that United were viewing Ferguson as an option in two transfer windows time, stating: "United have been watching Ferguson and monitoring his progress but the same could be said of dozens of players.
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"They are already working two windows ahead, which is pretty commonplace across the rest of the Premier League. For each position they ideally have three or more players on a list which they scout and regularly update."
However, ESPN reporter Rob Dawson has since revealed that United tried to sign the 18-year-old over the summer, but had a £50m bid 'laughed off' by the Seagulls, who are thought to be after a British-record transfer fee in order to part ways with the teenager.
Ferguson has picked up where he left off last season, scoring a hat-trick against Newcastle in a fantastic 3-2 win for the south coast club, which will only add value to his growing price tag.
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Discussing his potential for The Athletic, former Newcastle talisman and Match Of The Day pundit Alan Shearer waxed lyrical about the Republic of Ireland international, labelling him a 'special talent'.
"I’ve studied his performances and he has the potential to be massive," wrote Shearer. "We’re talking about a very special talent, someone who could be a superstar within a couple of years."
But the 53-year-old admitted that his departure is "inevitable" if he continues on his current trajectory, explaining: “It’s no surprise Manchester City are reportedly among the clubs watching him. It would be more of a surprise if they were not.
“It wouldn’t be a shock if Ferguson was the next huge transfer out of Brighton, not that I wish it for them, but if he keeps progressing the way he is doing, it’s inevitable that something will happen not too far down the line — for the right price, of course.”
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Topics: Manchester United, Transfers, Football, Brighton And Hove Albion, Evan Ferguson, Erik Ten Hag
Joe Adams