Premier League Striker Once Valued at £100m Linked With Move

A striker who was previously valued at £100 million has been linked with a return to England's top flight, just five months after leaving on a season-long loan.

Earlier this month, Fabian Hurzeler refused to rule out the prospect of Evan Ferguson returning to Brighton after striker Stefanos Tzimas suffered a serious knee injury in a recent clash against Aston Villa.

“Let’s see when January comes, how we try to make the team better and what changes we want to make,” he said, as per Football Italia.

“At the moment, we still have two weeks to go; we have to focus on the present. You can’t change anything, and we have to find solutions with this squad with the players we have. The squad is definitely good enough to find good solutions.”

Back in July, Ferguson joined Italian giants AS Roma on a season-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent for a reported €40 million.

The 23-year-old striker recently scored his first competitive goal for Gian Piero Gasperini's side, netting in the 64th minute of a 3-1 win against Cremonese that sent them two points clear at the top of Serie A.

Ferguson is said to be a popular member of the Roma squad and, despite recent ankle issues, the Republic of Ireland international has shown glimpses of brilliance for the Giallorossi.

Ferguson after scoring his first competitive goal for Roma in November. Image credit: Getty

A report from Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, meanwhile, suggests the 21-year-old's loan spell in Rome is set to come to a premature end in January.

"In January, the Irish striker will almost certainly return home to Brighton, to the club where three years ago he nearly became a sensation but never made it to the top," the report said.

Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini, who has spoken highly of Ferguson in the past, was recently asked about the striker's future.

"Ferguson’s future? I’ve never talked about it, I don’t know if the agent has," the Italian said. “I’ll talk about it with the club in January, if necessary."

Gasperini added: "Or maybe he plays two or three high-quality games and the assessments change. I think it’s too early: there are so many games that can completely change the strategies.”

What Fabian Hurzeler said after Evan Ferguson joined Roma on loan

“I think Evan has the quality to play in any league in the world," Hurzeler told the Brighton Argus in July. "I think Roma is a big club. He will not only grow as a player, he will grow as a person."

He added: “It is a big club, they want to win something, they are very ambitious so I am pleased for him. That is the most important, that he gets the game time he needs.”

So far, Ferguson has made 14 appearances for the Italian side, scoring one goal.