Ireland striker Evan Ferguson joins Roma on loan

Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson has signed for Roma on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, the Serie A club announced on Wednesday, with the 20-year-old hoping to revive his career after a string of disappointing seasons.

“Roma are delighted to announce the signing of Evan Ferguson from Brighton & Hove Albion. Ferguson will join Roma on loan with an option to buy,” Roma said in a statement.

Ferguson was signed by Brighton from Dublin club Bohemians in January 2021 as a 16-year-old and made his first-team debut in August that year under Graham Potter.

The 2022/23 season was a breakthrough one for him, with Ferguson scoring 10 goals in 25 games in all competitions and making his first appearance for the Republic of Ireland. However, injuries soon hampered his progress.

A ruptured cruciate ligament halted his 23-24 season, in which Ferguson scored a hat-trick against Newcastle United in September, but he has struggled to maintain a place in the first team under Roberto De Zerbi.

Having failed to impress new Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler last season, Ferguson went on loan to West Ham United in February, starting just once in eight games without scoring under former Brighton manager Potter.

Ferguson will now be looking to rediscover his form under new Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini, who has previously transformed Atalanta from a relegation-battling side into a top-four Serie A side and breathed new life into the careers of many players.

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Gasperini's experience of turning erratic strikers including Duvan Zapata, Luis Muriel, Ademola Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca into prolific goalscorers offers real hope to Ferguson as he looks to start a new chapter in the Italian capital.

In Rome, Ferguson's arrival was certainly greeted with hope: on Monday, the newspaper Il Romanista ran a front-page article about the striker with the headline “The Irishman”.

Ferguson looked shaken as he arrived at Ciampino airport on Sunday, where a large group of Roma fans were already chanting his name and asking for autographs, all before he had even completed his medical and signed his contract.

Sourse: breakingnews.ie

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