Nottingham Forest are looking for a more trustworthy backup to Chris Wood in the January transfer window, and Irish prodigy Evan Ferguson is one potential.
Forest have given Wood a new contract as a reward for the Kiwi’s outstanding first half of the Premier League season, which included 11 league goals that helped Forest finish third at the halfway point.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Points |
| 1 |  Liverpool |
18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 45 | 17 | 28 | 45 |
| 2 |  Arsenal |
19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 38 | 17 | 21 | 39 |
| 3 |  Nottingham Forest |
19 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 19 | 7 | 37 |
| 4 |  Chelsea |
19 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 23 | 15 | 35 |
Key:
Champions League: Positions 1–4
Position 5: UEFA Europa League.
Positions 18-20: Relegation
However, Nuno Espirito Santo would be wary of betting on Wood’s continuous fitness, so another forward in the Forest team would be an ideal January signing.
Petar Musa has been linked with Forest as a potential January striker option, alongside Forest’s pursuit of Yuri Alberto that looks set to bubble on throughout the month.
Another name that has surfaced is Brighton’s Irish star, Evan Ferguson, who has been hot property on the south coast since his breakthrough 2022/23 campaign.
Forest were reportedly offered Ferguson by Brighton, with details now emerging about what type of deal would suit The Seagulls.
Brighton would prefer loan with ‘obligation’ for Evan Ferguson deal
According to Ben Jacobs, Brighton has still to decide whether to authorize a deal for Ferguson in January, with numerous Premier League clubs eagerly awaiting an update.
According to Jacobs, Arsenal, Fulham, and West Ham are all keeping an eye on Ferguson this month, with “a half-season loan” sounding “very appealing” to the interested parties.
However, Jacobs continued: “Brighton are currently inclined to insist on an obligation clause if they decide to let Ferguson go in January.” The addition of a more permanent component to the transaction may exclude a number of interested parties, giving Forest an advantage if they can free up funds of their own.
Nottingham Forest could profit from recent Evan Ferguson update
Given that Forest might listen to offers for Taiwo Awoniyi during the window, any monies obtained for the Nigerian could be spent on an obligation to sign Ferguson from Brighton.
Ferguson has been dealing with fitness concerns for some time, only starting twice this season, which may make the fee for the 20-year-old more fair than expected.
Even if the sum is hefty, the young forward has 17 Premier League goals in under 100 appearances as a teenager, indicating the immense potential that his addition could bring to the Forest club.
Wood’s brilliance will have a limit given his age of 33, but a younger understudy who isn’t expected to make an immediate impact for the Forest boss could be ideal if Evangelos Marinakis can find the finances to suit Brighton’s needs.
