Brighton have placed an asking price in excess of £100m on Evan Ferguson in a bid to ward off interest in the forward from Premier League rivals.
Ferguson’s exciting emergence at Brighton has alerted the attention of the Premier League’s top teams, with several of the ‘Big Six’ sides monitoring his progress at the Amex Stadium.
The 19-year-old scored 10 goals in all competitions during a breakthrough campaign last season and recorded his first Premier League hat-trick during Brighton’s 3-1 win over Newcastle in September.
Ferguson is the first teenager since Wayne Rooney in 2005 to score 10 Premier League goals in a calendar year.
Tottenham are understood to hold a keen interest in Ferguson and view the Ireland international as a long-term successor to Harry Kane in north London.
Chelsea are also keeping a close eye on the teenager, while Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been tentatively linked in recent months.
talkSPORT are reporting that Brighton will demand a record fee for Ferguson from interested clubs, with chairman Tony Bloom believing the Seagulls can bring in more than the British record fee of £115m received from Chelsea for Moises Caicedo last summer.
Ferguson signed a new long-term contract at Brighton last week – protecting his value – and is said to be in no rush to leave Brighton. He has scored three goals in eight senior appearances for the Republic of Ireland.
