Brighton and Hove Albion striker and former Manchester United target Evan Ferguson is currently on loan at AS Roma.
When he burst onto the scene at Brighton and Hove Albion, few could have imagined that the Seagulls would have been actively looking to sell Evan Ferguson just two full seasons later.
Pundits were queuing up to praise Ferguson after he scored six goals in 19 Premier League appearances. In October 2023, aged just 19, the striker became the first teenager since Wayne Rooney in 2005 to score ten Premier League goals in a calendar year.
"Yes, not bad, not bad," a humble Ferguson responded when notified of matching Rooney's record. "Especially as a kid looking up to him and watching Wayne Rooney play so that's not bad news."
Asked if Rooney was a role model for him, he replied: "A little bit, yes. Obviously just seeing the way he was and seeing his documentary, how young he was and what he did at that age, it shows it's not impossible, you know what I mean?
"I supported United as a boy," Ferguson told the Daily Mail in November of that year as his idolisation of Rooney became clear. "You had the Rooneys, the [Dimitar] Berbatovs and obviously Danny Welbeck. They've always had a good thing going with the striker."
"I'm sure he will be there for the next couple of years, but he looks the real deal every time I watch him," Jamie Carragher said in August 2023. "I think that lad he has got up front, I think he's pretty special."
All of this pointed to the centre-forward becoming the next name on United's wishlist. MEN Sport reported in September 2023 that Ferguson was being watched by the club as they looked to strengthen their attack.
But Brighton had already issued a hands-off warning in the summer. "In Evan's case, at least five years' time," Seagulls CEO Paul Barber said when asked by talkSPORT when Ferguson could be available for transfer.
"Ultimately, the technical staff are making the key decisions on where a player is in his development - whether he needs more first-team games or to go out on loan or whether we should be trading earlier or later. It's going to be a collective decision, but it's driven by the technical staff."
Sadly for Ferguson, the chances of following in the footsteps of his childhood United idols seem more unlikely than ever before. Towards the end of the 2023/24 season, the striker suffered a cruciate ligament tear which kept him out for the entirety of pre-season.
Ferguson did not manage to win back his position in the Brighton team after that. He entered the treatment room with Roberto De Zerbi his manager and exited it with Fabian Hurzeler in charge.
"I want to keep working with him," Hurzeler insisted just days before Ferguson joined West Ham. "But like I've always said, it's important to discuss with him what is important for the individual development of the player because that's the main thing from the club. We want to improve the development of the players, we want to help them and therefore we need an exchange.
"Then we'll see what makes sense for the player [over] the next six months, what makes sense for the club and then we will make a decision together. It won't be an individual decision, always a togetherness.
"I've felt in the conversations I've had with Evan that he only wants to play, that's his main thing, no matter if it's here or for another club."
Ferguson moved to West Ham in the 2024/25 mid-season window, but after just eight appearances with zero goals scored, he returned to Brighton. The Seagulls agreed to loan Ferguson to AS Roma in the summer, with the Italian's holding an option to purchase him for £30m.
United, unsurprisingly, chose not to revisit their interest in Ferguson and a move to Serie A was agreed. In Italy, the forward has continued to struggle but in Gian Piero Gasperini he has found a manager that is determined to help him rediscover his form.
"Ferguson? He played a great game, and his condition is improving," Gasperini said back in August.
"He played very little last year, and needs to get used to it, but tonight he showed some important qualities for us. He has a lot of potential and will give us great satisfaction in the long run."
At just 21, there is still plenty of time for Ferguson to get back to his best and prove he can cut it at the top level. But few would have envisaged him being shipped out on loan twice in a calendar year after he burst onto the scene as a teenager.
If he can stay clear of injuries and he fulfils his undoubted potential, there's every chance he could be back on United's radar again in the future.