By their standards, the 2025 January transfer window was a very quiet one for Chelsea.
While there were exits, with the likes of Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Axel Disasi all leaving on deadline day, no new signings were announced before the transfer window closed.
Chelsea were linked with several players, though, including Brighton & Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson, who has joined West Ham United on loan.
Ferguson has reunited with Graham Potter at the London Stadium, but the chance to work with his former manager is not the only thing that stopped a move to Chelsea from happening.
Chelsea wanted to sign Evan Ferguson on loan with an option to buy
West Ham signed Ferguson on a dry loan, and it looks like Chelsea did not want to do that kind of deal for the young striker.
Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed on his Substack Si Phillips Talks Chelsea that while the Blues did speak to Ferguson’s agents, they cooled their interest once realising that Brighton would not give them the option to sign him permanently after his loan.
It means that Enzo Maresca will have to finish the season with Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu as his centre-forward options.
On paper, it is not bad, but Jackson has not scored in eight Premier League games now following his failure to net in Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Ferguson’s new side on Monday.
After talk that the Republic of Ireland international or someone else could come in and take his spot, Jackson will be glad that the transfer window is now closed.
Should Chelsea have signed Evan Ferguson on loan?
With Maresca starting to give Guiu minutes in the Premier League now and Nkunku remaining at the club, Chelsea did not need to bring in Ferguson in the end.
On a permanent deal, perhaps one or two arguments can be made. But what would Chelsea have got out of developing one of Brighton’s players when they could be giving minutes to Guiu instead?
Guiu is around the same age as Ferguson and is having a better season than him.
In 13 appearances, the 19-year-old has scored six goals, whereas Ferguson has netted one in 15.
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