Exclusive: Evan Ferguson A former Ipswich Town signee, he has officially left Brighton and will play his first game against Manchester United on the BBC.

Exclusive: Evan Ferguson wants to quit Brighton in January

Evan Ferguson wants to leave Brighton in the January transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.

It is believed the 20-year-old striker is unhappy at his lack of game time in the 2024-25 campaign under new boss Fabian Hurzeler.

Ferguson wants to leave Brighton in January in order to play regular first-XI football once again.

The Republic of Ireland international wants to remain in the Premier League and has set his sights on joining another top-flight club in the new year.

He has played just 254 minutes of club football across eight appearances in league and cup this term, scoring one goal.

The striker missed the first three games of the 2024-25 campaign with an ankle injury but is now back at full fitness.

However, he has struggled to break into the starting eleven under Hurzeler with the likes of Danny Welbeck, Joao Pedro and Georginio Rutter above him in the pecking order.

Ferguson wants to leave Brighton for Premier League club

The bulk of his action this term has come on the international stage with Ireland, where he has hit one goal in four Nations League starts.

Ferguson is under contract at the Amex Stadium until June 2029 after penning a new deal last year (2023).

The young striker burst onto the scene at Brighton with ten goals in the 2022-23 campaign before hitting six strikes last term in an injury-hit season.

Brighton sit sixth in the Premier League this term, thanks in no small part to the six top-flight goals scored by veteran forward Welbeck.

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Ipswich Town: George Hirst suffers knee injury set-back

Ipswich Town striker George Hirst is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering his third injury in less than a year.

The 25-year-old ruptured his hamstring in last year’s Boxing Day clash with Leicester and, following surgery, returned to action for the final week of the Championship promotion-winning campaign.

He then suffered a knee injury in an August pre-season game against Fortuna Dusseldorf and, following keyhole surgery, returned to action in the 0-0 draw at Brighton on September 14.

Last month, he scored and provided an assist on his full Premier League debut, in the 4-3 defeat at Brentford. However, after coming on as a late sub in the recent win at Tottenham, he played on after suffering a knee injury and went on to suffer a nasty cut to the head.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s eagerly-anticipated clash with Manchester United at Portman Road, Blues boss Kieran McKenna revealed that Hirst will be sidelined for a spell as a result of the knee issue.

“He’s going to be out for a while,” said the Blues boss. “We’re not sure on the timescale yet It’s not going to be months and months, but it is going to be weeks and weeks.”

It leaves Town with Liam Delap and Ali Al-Hamadi as the two striker options.

Meanwhile, McKenna revealed that midfielder Kalvin Phillips, available again after serving a one-game suspension, will be ‘assessed over the next 48 hours’ for ‘a little issue he’s had since the Leicester game’.

Omari Hutchinson returned to training today having been sent home from England U21 duty with a ‘heavily bruised foot’ he sustained in the Tottenham game.

Centre-back Jacob Greaves and midfielder Jack Taylor have both returned to training having been sidelined with hamstring injuries since October.