Evan Ferguson sent emphatic Celtic transfer message

Brighton striker Evan Ferguson has been urged to join Celtic after his loan spell at AS Roma by former Ireland international Andy Goldstein.

The 21-year-old has endured a difficult season in Italy. Ferguson has to date only scored five goals and has repeatedly faced criticism from head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. His situation has been worsened by a recurring ankle problem.

Ferguson is currently recovering from his injury, and he is at serious risk of becoming a forgotten man due to the form of Aston Villa loanee Donyell Malen, who has scored three goals in his first four games at the Stadio Olimpico.

In January, Ferguson was the subject of persistent speculation because Roma considered sending him back to Brighton. They ultimately decided against it, but it is highly unlikely that the Irishman will remain at the club beyond this season.

Celtic have been consistently linked with a move for the young forward. The Hoops desperately needed a striker in January and brought in Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu on loan late in the window. It is too early to say whether they will sign them permanently.

Ferguson urged to join Celtic

It seems inevitable that speculation surrounding a potential move for Ferguson will resurface in the summer. Former Ireland international Andy Goldstein certainly believes that Parkhead would be a sensible destination for the 21-year-old.

“Celtic would be a great move for Evan Ferguson,” he told Boyle Sports. “He needs to go somewhere where he can play every week and bag 30 goals if he can, and become talked about as a striker with those sorts of numbers.

“We still talk about Evan in terms of his potential and, hopefully, being fit. There’s a very talented boy in there, and I think Celtic would be the perfect environment. Whether or not Martin O’Neill and the club agree with that, who knows.

“If he did go up to Celtic and didn’t score a hatful, then maybe that shows us he’s not quite the player that everyone thought he was. Personally, I hope he can go there. I think that would be a great move for him.”

Wrexham have also been linked with a potential move for the Irishman, but Goldstein believes that Ferguson should be the main man for a bigger club. “Wrexham has been an unbelievable story,” he said.

“They couldn’t have dreamed of anything better for a Hollywood series, could they? But I think Evan has been at Brighton, he’s been to Italy, and I think he needs to come and be the main man at a big club.

“Celtic absolutely tick that box. They’d love him up there. But he knows that if he goes there, he’s walking in the footsteps of Henrik Larsson and legends like that. He’d have to go into Celtic and convince them that he’s as good as those guys.

“That’s what he needs to do: live with the pressure of a big club and those expectations. Hopefully, he can deliver.”

Football transfer news headlines today

EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal target Inter Milan starlet Pio Esposito

Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Ronaldo decision as Premier League manager chaos continues

Introducing Drogba 2.0: Is this 17-year-old star Chelsea’s next great No.9?

Cristiano Ronaldo ends Al-Nassr strike as Man Utd return message sent

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store