Roberto De Zerbi’s comments about Manchester United target Evan Ferguson have resurfaced following renewed links between the Italian and the Red Devils. United’s minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is considering an end-of-season review to decide whether to replace current manager Erik ten Hag.
Despite ten Hag’s precarious position throughout the season, his FA Cup final victory over Manchester City has given the United hierarchy pause. De Zerbi, who left Brighton and Hove Albion at the end of the Premier League season, has emerged as a potential candidate to replace ten Hag. Reports from March indicated that De Zerbi had impressed Ratcliffe, with further rumors suggesting United have made contact with the former Shakhtar Donetsk manager.
If appointed, De Zerbi may need to address previous remarks he made about his striker Evan Ferguson, who was linked to United last summer and remains a potential target. Following Brighton’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth in April, De Zerbi compared Ferguson to debutant Mark O’Mahony. Rather than giving a diplomatic answer, De Zerbi stated, “I think he can be the new Evan Ferguson because he seems a lot like Evan.
Maybe Evan has a different shot but Mark is better in terms of possession, he understands the play better.” Ferguson had a challenging season at Brighton, scoring six goals in 27 Premier League appearances, the same tally as his breakout season, which led many to expect greater progress.
