West Ham have strengthened their attacking lineup by securing Brighton striker Evan Ferguson on loan for the remainder of the season. The move reunites Ferguson with Graham Potter, under whom he made his professional debut at Brighton. Potter, who recently recalled James Ward-Prowse from his loan spell at Nottingham Forest, was eager to bring in a forward following injuries to Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio.
Several clubs, including Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Everton, and Tottenham, had shown interest in Ferguson, but West Ham won the race to sign the 20-year-old, who is returning to full fitness after an ankle issue. Despite scoring just once this season, he is considered one of the brightest young forwards in English football and will now have the opportunity for regular game time at the London Stadium.
Since taking charge last month, Potter has not pursued major squad investments, preferring to hold off until the summer. Instead, he has reinforced the squad by recalling Ward-Prowse, who was on the fringes at Forest. West Ham initially did not have a recall option for the midfielder, but the two clubs reached an agreement to end his loan early, adding depth to the midfield.
West Ham also attempted to strengthen other areas of their squad but faced setbacks. Their bid for Celtic’s highly-rated 18-year-old striker Daniel Cummings was rejected, though he is expected to sign a pre-contract with them for a summer move. Additionally, they made an unsuccessful attempt to sign Lorient forward Eli Junior Kroupi, who is now set to join Bournemouth at the end of the season. The club was also in the market for a centre-back but did not secure a signing in that position.
Meanwhile, Brighton completed the signing of Greece Under-21 forward Stefanos Tzimas from Nürnberg on a contract running until 2030. However, the young striker will return to the Bundesliga 2 club on loan for the rest of the season. Brighton’s coach, Fabian Hürzeler, described Tzimas as an exceptional young talent with a natural ability to score goals.
Elsewhere, Everton have strengthened their squad by signing attacking midfielder Carlos Alcaraz on loan from Flamengo for the rest of the season, with an option to buy in the summer. The 22-year-old, who previously played for Southampton, is the first signing under David Moyes since his return to Goodison Park. Alcaraz expressed excitement about the move, emphasizing his commitment to giving his best for the club.
Newcastle defender Lloyd Kelly has made a loan switch to Juventus for the remainder of the season, with the Italian club obligated to make the deal permanent for around £20m in the summer. Kelly had only joined Newcastle last summer on a free transfer.
Wolves made two late signings to reinforce their squad, bringing in centre-back Nasser Djiga from Red Star Belgrade for £10m and defensive midfielder Marshall Munetsi from Reims for a reported £16m fee. Meanwhile, Bournemouth completed a £10m deal for highly-rated striker Eli Junior Kroupi, who will remain on loan at Lorient until the summer.
Ipswich also made moves in the transfer market, signing West Brom goalkeeper Alex Palmer for an initial £2m, which could rise to £4m with add-ons. With Aro Muric struggling for form and Christian Walton injured, Palmer is expected to compete for the No. 1 spot at Portman Road. Additionally, teenage defender Somto Boniface has joined the club from Chelsea and will initially be part of the development squad.
In the Championship, Burnley pulled off a significant coup by signing Marcus Edwards on loan from Sporting until the end of the season. The 26-year-old forward has a connection with Burnley manager Scott Parker from their time at Tottenham’s academy. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough secured a loan move for former Leicester striker Kelechi Iheanacho from Sevilla for the remainder of the season.
In Scotland, Celtic completed the loan signing of Crystal Palace midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp, who will remain at the club until the end of the season.
