Celtic’s Europa League clash with Roma will see them face a reported transfer target from the summer.
The Celts had an eye on Evan Ferguson as it became clear that Brighton were ready to loan him out this season.
The Hoops love an Irish striker, having had Johnny Kenny and Adam Idah leading the line this year, also being linked with Michael Noonan and Mason Melia.
They missed out on Ferguson in the summer when he made the move to the Italian Capital, but it’s fair to say that the move has not worked out.
Ferguson has scored just one in 14 appearances for his club this season – leading them to make a decision ahead of January.
Roma make Evan Ferguson decision before Celtic clash
Celtic have been watching closely as Ferguson has struggled this season, aware of the possibility that he could be sent back to Brighton in January.
And now, according to La Gazzeta Dello Sport, Roma are preparing to cut the move short.
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Celtic will likely be one of several teams ready to pounce in January, as Ferguson looks to find a new place to get his career back on track.
But given that this is Celtic in Europe, don’t rule out him popping up with a goal on Thursday.
Asked about the situation, Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini said: “Ferguson’s future? I’ve never talked about it, I don’t know if the agent has.
“I’ll talk about it with the club in January, if necessary. It always happens these days that there’s a lot of talk about players, then maybe one comes in, scores two goals, and changes everything.
“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.”
Despite his struggles in Italy, Ferguson has continued to perform at international level, scoring in three of his last four appearances for Ireland.
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Celtic target Evan Ferguson’s career
Ferguson made his first friendly appearance for Bohemians’ senior team aged just 14, and joined Brighton at 16, making his debut six months later.
An early developer physically, he eventually started getting minutes in the Premier League as a teenager. Along with Cesc Fabregas, he is one of the only two non-English players to get ten goal involvements in the division before the age of 18.
At his peak level of hype, interest from Chelsea and Manchester United was reportedly fended off by a £100 million price tag set by Brighton.
But a few years on, that feels a long, long way away.
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