Celtic touted as ideal club for star by Manchester United hero as Hoops 'opportunity' could rekindle fire
Republic of Ireland forward struggled with injuries last season
Celtic-linked striker Evan Ferguson should grab the ‘opportunity’ to move from Brighton to Parkhead with both hands if it arises - according to former Manchester United marksman Louis Saha.
The 21-year old had a promising start to last season on loan at Roma however an ankle injury he suffered in March which required surgery ruled him out for the rest of the campaign. As he now returns to the Amex, Ferguson has been linked with a permanent move elsewhere again where Celtic’s name has popped up again. The Irishman was on target twice for Roma in their 3-0 Europa League win at Parkhead in December having previously been linked with a Hoops move.
Former United and Everton striker Saha knows what it’s like to score goals at the highest level, having won two Premier Leagues and a Champions League during his time at Old Trafford. The Frenchman believes Celtic would be an ideal next step for Ferguson.
Ferguson encouraged to make Celtic switch
The striker scored five times in 21 appearances for Roma in what was a very stop-start campaign last season. Having been linked with Celtic in several previous transfer windows, Saha believes it wouldn’t be a bad option to explore in the summer. He told BettingLounge: “For Evan Ferguson it’s all about getting a run of games and getting back to that position.
“He needs to get to that spot where you feel good with the ball and you start to believe that you are back to the level you were before the injury. He needs a run of games and he will start to smell the goals again and learn how to work with his team-mates, he needs that confidence and momentum back. If he can’t find that at Brighton then Celtic could be a good opportunity. But for him he needs a place where he can get back to playing regular games.”
Ferguson came through the ranks with Bohemians before making the trip across the Irish Sea to the south coast in 2021 at the age of 17. Despite his young age, the towering number nine almost instantly proved to be a handful for Premier League defences. He has 13 goals to his name in the English top flight and has since become a regular in the Republic of Ireland National Team. Before Roma, he had an injury-plagued loan spell at West Ham.
Celtic touted again for Ferguson’s next steps
It isn’t the first time the forward has been told Celtic would be a ideal opportunity, back in February former Ireland international teammate Jeff Hendrick also said he should consider it. He told Fruity King: “Evan Ferguson is still young, he’s still hungry, he’s still learning. I know it hasn’t worked out for him pretty much since his injury at West Ham and then going out to Italy.
“Potentially, yeah, he could go to Celtic and score a lot of goals.I think he’s got to end up scoring goals wherever he is. But I think he needs to be careful where he picks his next move. It’s been two years now where he’s really not got going, especially after bursting onto the scene. I’d like him not to jump into something.
“Maybe he might jump into Celtic with his heart because, you know, he’s Irish and the affiliation is there. But I think he needs to think logically about where his next step is and what is the right fit for him, whether it’s a manager, a playing style, a club, a country. He needs to be careful where he picks.”
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