Evan Ferguson could return to Brighton: Roma prepare for January overhaul | OneFootball

“In a market that waits for no one, separating today may be the best choice for everyone.” Those were the damning words from Voce Giallo Rossa’s Marco Campanella as he described how Roma could end Evan Ferguson’s loan from Brighton early.

The Roma site confirmed that Giallorossi management is working tirelessly to bring Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Atletico Madrid’s Giacomo Raspadori to Trigoria, with both Artem Dovbyk and Ferguson potentially preparing for January exits.

In recent days, Roma have reportedly already initiated discussions with Brighton about terminating the Irishman’s loan six months early. This is far from a given, considering that the agreement signed in July contains no specific clauses for early termination. A compromise must therefore be reached.

So far this term, Roma have scored 17 goals in 16 games, the least of all the top six sides in Italy. Looking far from convincing at times, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have struggled to rely on their strikers, who have each presented bleak offerings up top. The 21-year-old Ferguson has scored just one goal in 12 Serie A games, while Dovbyk has a marginally better two goals in 10.

For Ferguson, a potentially longer stay in Rome seems beneficial to no one. The Giallorossi would find themselves with a player who is outside of Gasperini’s plans for another six months, with the manager frequently calling him out publicly for his far from consistent performances and for his evident difficulty absorbing the coach’s desired attitude.

Another damning quote from the Roma site: “He’s a foreign body, rather than an asset.”

A prolonged Roman spell isn’t in Brighton or Ferguson’s best interests either. Keeping the striker on the capital club’s fringes risks affecting his £22 million (€25m) value ahead of the summer, thus curtailing potential World Cup involvement (if Ireland qualify), or a potential move elsewhere.

Ferguson needs consistent game time to get back to the heights he hinted at before his career was blighted by injury setbacks. It may be better to bring him back into Fabian Hurzeler’s set-up or loan him out to a team that would believe in his potential resurgence.

GIFN | Max Bradfield