Evan Ferguson is out to prove a point after sealing a season-long loan move to Roma from Brighton, with Manchester United among the clubs previously linked with the striker

Evan Ferguson gave Manchester United a glimpse of what they missed out on as he smashed in four goals on his Roma debut. The Ireland international has been on United's radar since bursting onto the scene with Brighton as a teenager.

At one point, a hefty £100million price tag was attached to him, although there were no indications that United were prepared to shell out such an amount for the youngster. Last summer, it was rumoured that United were contemplating a £50million swoop for Ferguson, with Chelsea also reportedly showing interest.

However, a move to Old Trafford never materialised and Ferguson's career hit a rough patch last season due to a lack of goals and persistent injuries. The 20-year-old spent the second half of the campaign at West Ham on loan after finding opportunities hard to come by at Brighton, but only managed to start one game for the Hammers.

He is now looking to kickstart his career with Roma after joining the Serie A club on a season-long loan, a deal which includes a £32million right-to-buy option.

Partnering Argentina World Cup-winning striker Paulo Dybala, Ferguson hit the ground running with his new club, scoring four times and providing an assist as Roma thrashed Italian lower-league side UniPomezia 9-0 in a friendly. United are on the hunt for a new striker this summer but abandoned their pursuit of him at the turn of the year, which may well come back to bite them if his debut performance is anything to by.

Ferguson will return to England next month, with Roma set to play friendly matches against Aston Villa and Everton before commencing their Serie A campaign at home against Bologna on August 23.

United's interest in Ferguson will have waned following his tough 2024/25 campaign. With young strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee both struggling, Ruben Amorim desperately required established Premier League attackers, leading to the summer arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to address those needs.

Nevertheless, an impressive spell in Serie A could thrust Ferguson back into the thoughts of England's elite clubs. Following confirmation of his Roma loan switch, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler explained: "Evan had a challenging period across the past season and a half, and it has been one disrupted by niggling injury issues, which hasn't allowed him a run of games.

"He is over those injuries and has come back in great shape. Now he really wants to play regularly. This is an exciting opportunity in a strong league and with the prospect of European football."