West Ham United have been informed by Brighton & Hove Albion that Evan Ferguson is allowed to leave on loan this month, but they could face strong competition from Bayer Leverkusen depending on what happens with Victor Boniface, GIVEMESPORT sources exclusively revealed on our brand-new Market Madness podcast.

Ferguson, 20, has been sidelined with an ankle injury since early December and has found game time hard to come by under Fabian Hurzeler this season, falling behind Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck in the German coach's pecking order. The 18-cap Republic of Ireland international has managed just one goal in 12 Premier League outings, a far cry from the impressive numbers he managed under former manager Roberto De Zerbi at the start of his Amex career.

West Ham are expected to sign at least one new forward before the winter transfer window closes on February 3 to help Graham Potter deal without injured duo Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug. The Hammers were eyeing Aston Villa's Jhon Duran but failed with a £57 million bid and instead are 'exploring other options' which could see Ferguson arrive at the London Stadium.

West Ham Could Sign Ferguson On Loan

Ferguson's lack of first-team opportunities this season has led to suggestions that he'll depart this month to get minutes under his belt and re-establish his status as one of the Premier League's brightest forward talents.

GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs told the latest Market Madness podcast that Brighton are open to a loan, but West Ham could face competition from several other English clubs and Bayer Leverkusen:

"You have Leverkusen, who I'm told are actually the frontrunners at the time of recording, which could mean it's more likely that Evan Ferguson might go abroad. You've got Everton, but the player doesn't favour that move, and you've got West Ham United and Bournemouth."

"West Ham made an approach formally for Evan Ferguson two weeks ago, and Brighton said, 'we'll let you know in the last week or so of the window'. They've now done that and said a loan might be possible. So I think West Ham will move, but they might want that confidence to feel that an option to buy may be included, whereas Leverkusen are more prepared to just do a straight loan."

West Ham will be eager to beat Leverkusen to Ferguson's signature and add more firepower to Potter's squad who have struggled to impress this season, although Leverkusen's interest could diminish if Boniface ends up staying rather than joining Al-Nassr. The Hammers sit 14th and have managed just 28 goals in 23 games, with their joint-top scorers being English winger Jarrod Bowen and Czech midfielder Tomas Soucek.

Ferguson hasn't been prolific this season, but Potter knows all about him after making his debut at the age of 17 in February 2022. The young Irish centre-forward's 6 ft 2 frame blends with an energetic approach and agility that caused defenders problems two seasons ago at the Amex, and he has managed 13 goals, and two assists in 59 Premier League games since his debut.

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