Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann has described West Ham loanee Evan Ferguson as “one of the biggest talents” in European football.

The 20-year-old has struggled to get game time for the Hammers since arriving on loan from Brighton in the last transfer window. He is now also getting less game time at international level, which Hamann has questioned:

“I think Evan Ferguson is one of the biggest talents in Irish football, English football, and probably European football.”

“He finds it hard at West Ham, where he is on loan now, but if you want to qualify for the World Cup, do you think it is possible to do that without Ferguson scoring goals in the qualifying campaign?”

Where have things gone wrong for Ferguson?

There is no doubt that the Irishman is struggling with his confidence, and recent injuries have definitely halted his rapid rise.

It was thought that working under Graham Potter, who gave him his senior debut, would help Ferguson regain his best form, but he has looked out of sorts on his rare outings for the Irons so far.

The striker has only made five substitute appearances, spending 92 minutes on the pitch in total.

West Ham are unlikely to sign the forward on a permanent basis

The Irons snapped up Ferguson on a straight loan, without an option to buy. Some fans thought it was a mistake at the time but it now looks like the right decision. The expectation is that he will return to the Amex in June.

Head of Recruitment Kyle Macaulay is said to be scouring the market for a new No.9. Talks have been held with the agent of Lille’s Jonathan David, while Fiorentina’s Moise Kean, Roma’s Tammy Abraham and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap have also been considered as potential targets.

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