Celtic have been linked with an interest in Evan Ferguson this summer, but any club hoping to land the Brighton striker will need to offer assurances over regular first-team football.
That’s the view of Richard Dunne, who is close with Ferguson’s family and believes the young forward is determined to find a club where he can play consistently. The 20-year-old endured a frustrating loan spell at West Ham last season, featuring just three times without scoring.
It capped off a difficult campaign for the Ireland international, who managed only one Premier League goal for Brighton across the season. With Fabian Hürzeler assessing his options at the AMEX, Ferguson could be allowed to move on once again.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers remains in the market for a striker as he looks to replace Kyogo and strengthen competition for Adam Idah ahead of the new campaign.
He said: (William Hill Vegas), “Sometimes in football, you just have moves that don’t work out or moments that don’t work out.
“I remember when I started off at Everton, I played 10 or 11 games, thought I had done really well, came back the next season and never played a game.
“You have ups and downs throughout your career and it’s just about how you react.
“I’m sure Evan will be desperate to get playing next year. He’s also a player who can turn back up in pre-season.
“He can score 10 goals in pre-season and become a number nine because he’s a very, very good footballer.
“He just needs a run of games, a bit of confidence and a couple of goals.
“There’ll be a hundred options for Evan in the summer and it’s just sort of making sure he gets the one which is focused on him playing week in, week out.”
With clubs across England and abroad monitoring the Ireland international, Celtic are not alone in their interest. But any serious pursuit will hinge on Rodgers being able to convince Ferguson that a key role awaits him in Glasgow. At his age, another season of limited minutes would be a setback.
Celtic’s current forward options remain light. Adam Idah arrived last summer in a £9 million deal, but he’s yet to consistently show he’s the long-term answer up front
Dunne’s insight, and his connection to Ferguson’s camp, gives weight to the expectation that any team interested will need to provide more than just interest, they’ll need to commit to minutes. For Celtic, it may come down to how bold they are prepared to be in reshaping their front line this summer.
Some teams can offer first team football but at Celtivmc and most top clubs its up to you but there’s not a better time to go to Celtic if your a striker to get your place you will get a chance but you have to take it