Graham Potter dealt Evan Ferguson blow as West Ham explore £25m replacement

West Ham United manager Graham Potter has been dealt a blow in regard to Evan Ferguson, with the Hammers also exploring the possibility of signing an intriguing summer replacement for the 20-year-old.

Graham Potter facing early challenges at West Ham

Potter, who most recently watched his side succumb to a tepid 1-0 defeat at home to Brentford, is facing some early challenges at West Ham.

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The east Londoners are hatching a plan for the summer.

During his spell in the dugout so far, Potter has guided West Ham to just a single victory, which came in a 3-2 home win against Fulham, with defeats coming at the hands of Thomas Frank’s side last weekend, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.

There is plenty of work to do for the tactician as he seeks to fulfil his promise of making the east Londoners an entertaining side to watch, but there have been flashes of promise since he took over from Julen Lopetegui.

Ahead of their trip to the Emirates Stadium this weekend to take on Arsenal, star midfielder Lucas Paqueta has suffered a fresh ankle injury, with the Brazilian withdrawing from training at Rush Green and appearing devastated (Standard Sport).

His potential absence against Mikel Arteta’s title-challengers comes as another issue which Potter must resolve, while uncertainty surrounds the long-term future of striker Ferguson.

West Ham signed the Irishman on a six-month straight loan with no buy-option clause, and until now, it’s remained unclear whether Potter’s side are planning to negotiate a permanent deal for Ferguson past this campaign.

Reports suggest that West Ham have identified Man United striker Rasmus Hojlund as an alternative, with journalist Graeme Bailey now shedding further light on Ferguson’s long-term future at the London Stadium.

West Ham exploring Tammy Abraham deal after Evan Ferguson blow

According to the reporter, writing a piece for The Boot Room, it is believed Potter has been dealt a blow in his hopes of keeping Ferguson – as a permanent move is apparently unlikely to materialise this summer.

In light of this, West Ham are beginning to turn their attention to Roma’s Tammy Abraham – who is currently enjoying a fairly successful loan stint at Serie A rivals AC Milan.

The 27-year-old has scored eight goals and bagged five assists across 33 appearances in all competitions, but he’s said to be keen on making a return to the Premier League and battling his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

West Ham are exploring the possibility of signing Abraham this summer, as per Bailey, following reports last summer that Roma will demand up to £25 million to sell him outright.

This is not the first time they’ve been tipped to move for the former Chelsea star, with reports as far back as 2021 sharing West Ham’s interest in signing Abraham during his Stamford Bridge days.