For the second year running now, Arsenal have fought their way into a Premier League title race, and with 16 games gone, they don't look like they are going anywhere just yet.
Mikel Arteta's men are showing a new maturity that was just ever so slightly lacking last season, and at the same time, they have become a lot harder to score against – boasting the joint-best defence in the league.
The only area in which they look slightly worse is attack. The free-flowing waves of constant pressure that defined their early success in 2022/23 just haven't returned in the same way this campaign, and worse still, finishing has become an issue.
Arsenal could sign the next Martinelli in £17m "special talent"
The young Brazilian could be exactly what the Gunners need.
ByJack Salveson Holmes
Arteta and Edu Gaspar clearly recognise this, as the club have been linked to several top strikers in recent months, from Napoli's Victor Osimhen to Brentford's Ivan Toney.
Still, the latest name, Brighton & Hove Albion's Evan Ferguson, might be the most exciting, and with the youngster openly comparing himself to Harry Kane, confidence certainly isn't an issue.
Arsenal transfer news – Evan Ferguson
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Arsenal will be on the lookout for a new striker in 2024, and one of the forwards they have a lot of 'admiration' for is the Seagulls' incredibly exciting youngster.
Ornstein also confirms that the Gunners aren't the only top side interested in the Irish prospect, but what will likely be the most significant barrier to this deal being completed is the enormous valuation that Brighton have placed on the youngster, a whopping £120m.
That would smash the Gunners' current transfer record of £105m that they paid for Declan Rice, but for a striker described as having an "amazing future ahead" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and who has already scored six goals in ten league starts this year, he might prove to be worth it.
Especially if he can get anywhere close to the level of Kane, as he clearly believes is possible.
Arsenal could sign their answer to Harry Kane in Evan Ferguson
Now, that could be viewed as a massive leap by some. After all, Kane is arguably the greatest striker the Premier League has seen since the likes of Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry with 213 goals in the competition to date, and it would be utterly absurd to suggest that the young Irishman could match his output in the next couple of years, but after that, who knows.
The biggest selling point to the Brighton prospect is precisely that: the prospect of what he might become.
Few youngsters have burst onto the scene in quite the same way as the 19-year-old "superstar", as dubbed by Danny Murphy, and the expectation surrounding him is enormous.
Former Irish international John Aldridge wasn't fussed about being too presumptuous when he compared the dynamic forward to Kane earlier this year, saying: "Evan Ferguson could be an Irish version of Harry Kane.
"He reminds me of Kane in so many ways and that is a big compliment."
So, how does the "incredibly prolific", as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, youngster's underlying numbers stack up to Kane's from last season?
Well, he unsurprisingly loses out in most metrics, but he actually comes out on top in some, and with the age and experience gap between them, it's a generally positive outlook for Ferguson.
His better passing accuracy, defensive work and number of shots on target are all encouraging signs, and the fact that his non-penalty expected goals and assists figure isn't much worse is promising.
Stats (per 90)
Ferguson
Kane
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.40
0.63
Shots on Target
1.68
1.43
Passing Accuracy
84.6%
69.7%
Shot-Creating Actions
1.78
3.46
Tackles + Interceptions
1.05
0.45
Successful Take-Ons
0.32
1.06
Aerial Duels Won
0.53
1.75
All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 and 2022/23 Domestic Seasons
Ultimately, Arsenal would be investing in the potential that the "sensational" youngster, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, possesses, not necessarily in the player he is now.
He won't come in and replicate the form Kane showed last year, but his recent performances, underlying numbers and ringing endorsements all suggest that with the right coaching, he could reach a world-class level.
The promise of what Ferguson might achieve could also make him a perhaps better option than that of the aforementioned Toney, with the latter man less of a long-term fit at the age of 27, while also likely to cost around £100m.
With the Brighton ace potentially someone to build around for the next decade, in contrast to Toney, it could make the Irishman the preferred pick for Arteta and co.
