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Tom Weber<\/a><\/p>\n Updated: 10 Jan 2026 18:07 GMT January is bound to be an eventful month for AS Roma<\/a> striker Evan Ferguson<\/a>, but this is not necessarily good news for Celtic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues under the video<\/p>\n The Republic of Ireland international looked all but guaranteed to return to parent club Brighton<\/a> just a couple of weeks ago. Ferguson’s start to life at Roma was anything but auspicious, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini frequently voiced his frustration with the 21-year-old.<\/p>\n Brighton, having lost Stefanos Tzimas to a long-term injury, were open to welcoming Ferguson back into the fray, but it was later revealed that it is not the Seagulls’ decision to make. They did not include a recall clause in his loan deal.<\/p>\n Instead, Roma have to decide whether or not to keep Ferguson this month. The Giallorossi were hoping to replace the striker with Man Utd<\/a> forward Joshua Zirkzee, but the sacking of Ruben Amorim has now had the side effect that the Red Devils will not entertain any major exits.<\/p>\n The situation has also become more complicated by Ferguson actually finding his feet in the Italian capital. The young Irishman has scored four goals since mid-December.<\/p>\n Napoli explore Ferguson move as Roma change stance <\/p>\n Amid all of this, Celtic have been lurking in the background. Ferguson is a boyhood fan, and the Hoops desperately need a reliable striker, with Daizen Maeda facing an uncertain future, Kelechi Iheanacho struggling to stay fit and Jonny Kenny unable to convert his chances.<\/p>\n However, things can change quickly in football. While Celtic may have had some hope of landing Ferguson a few weeks ago, it now looks highly unlikely that they will be able to secure his signature.<\/p>\n The reasons are twofold. For one, reigning Serie A champions Napoli<\/a> are now showing an interest in the youngster. Gianluca Di Marzio<\/a> reports that initial talks over a potential move have already been held.<\/p>\n What’s more, Roma are no longer as desperate to get rid of him as they were when he was still struggling to score and when they still thought they could strike a deal for Zirkzee.<\/p>\n Sporting director Ricky Massara has now confirmed as much. Speaking ahead of Roma’s clash with Sassuolo, he candidly revealed that a move for Zirkzee is off the table and that he wants to keep Ferguson.<\/p>\n “At this time, United have closed all transfer discussions,” Massara explained. “With the change of manager, they don’t want any movement. It seems highly unlikely that they’ll change their minds, but we’ll see.”<\/p>\n As for Ferguson, he added: “He’s here, he’s giving us a big hand, he’s growing. He’s a 2004-born player who arrived four months ago in a new league. His growth is constant, he’s making a great contribution to us now, and we’re happy with what he’s doing.<\/p>\n “We’re happy to see him on the pitch tonight. We hope to keep him for the entire season, then we’ll see how we move forward.”<\/p>\n Ferguson himself also insists that he is not giving a potential departure from Roma any thought. \u201cIt has taken some time,” he admitted in an interview with SPORTbible<\/a>.<\/p>\n “There have been ups and downs, but now I\u2019d say I\u2019m pretty settled. I\u2019m in a good place physically and mentally, and know where my head\u2019s at. I\u2019m ready to build on what I\u2019ve been doing so far.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything\u2019s positive at the minute,\u201d Ferguson continued. \u201cI think, as a team, we\u2019re on a good run. It\u2019s not just me. As a team, we\u2019re in a good place, and I think we\u2019re finding a bit of rhythm and momentum now. We\u2019ll see where it takes us and keep on going.<\/p>\n \u201cI haven’t thought about [my next move]. I think it’s one step at a time. You can’t think about what you’re going to be doing next year. I’m here at the minute, and that’s it. I’m going to try and keep working as long as I’m here.”<\/p>\n Football transfer news headlines today<\/p>\n Arsenal rocked as \u2018very reliable sources\u2019 reveal Gabriel Martinelli wants out<\/a><\/p>\n Micky van de Ven: Wantaway Spurs star gets surprising transfer advice<\/a><\/p>\n Chelsea forced to negotiate with Real Madrid to sign bargain of the season<\/a><\/p>\n Marcus Rashford: Barcelona have made ‘surprise’ decision in last 24 hours \u2013 Fabrizio Romano<\/a><\/p>\n The FootballTransfers app <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:<\/p>\n \u2022Google Play<\/a><\/p>\n
\n 5 min read<\/p>\n![\"Evan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/w=1200,h=675,quality=75,fit=cover,format=auto.png\")
\n \u00a9 IMAGO <\/p>\n![\"Evan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768107558_573_w=750,h=422,quality=75,fit=cover,format=auto.jpeg\"\/)
\u00a9 IMAGO – Evan Ferguson<\/p>\n