โIn a market that waits for no one, separating today may be the best choice for everyone.โ Those were the damning words from Voce Giallo Rossaโs Marco Campanella as he described how Roma could end Evan Fergusonโs loan from Brighton early.
The Roma site confirmed that Giallorossi management is working tirelessly to bring Manchester Unitedโs Joshua Zirkzee and Atletico Madridโs Giacomo Raspadori to Trigoria, with both Artem Dovbyk and Ferguson potentially preparing for January exits.
In recent days, Roma have reportedly already initiated discussions with Brighton about terminating the Irishmanโs loan six months early. This is far from a given, considering that the agreement signed in July contains no specific clauses for early termination. A compromise must therefore be reached.
So far this term, Roma have scored 17 goals in 16 games, the least of all the top six sides in Italy. Looking far from convincing at times, Gian Piero Gasperiniโs side have struggled to rely on their strikers, who have each presented bleak offerings up top. The 21-year-old Ferguson has scored just one goal in 12 Serie A games, while Dovbyk has a marginally better two goals in 10.
For Ferguson, a potentially longer stay in Rome seems beneficial to no one. The Giallorossi would find themselves with a player who is outside of Gasperiniโs plans for another six months, with the manager frequently calling him out publicly for his far from consistent performances and for his evident difficulty absorbing the coachโs desired attitude.
Another damning quote from the Roma site: โHeโs a foreign body, rather than an asset.โ
A prolonged Roman spell isnโt in Brighton or Fergusonโs best interests either. Keeping the striker on the capital clubโs fringes risks affecting his ยฃ22 million (โฌ25m) value ahead of the summer, thus curtailing potential World Cup involvement (if Ireland qualify), or a potential move elsewhere.
Ferguson needs consistent game time to get back to the heights he hinted at before his career was blighted by injury setbacks. It may be better to bring him back into Fabian Hurzelerโs set-up or loan him out to a team that would believe in his potential resurgence.
GIFNย |ย Max Bradfield
