Brighton & Hove Albion attacker Evan Ferguson will reportedly reject the opportunity to sign for Manchester United this summer.
The 18-year-old has made a name for himself at the Amex Stadium under Roberto De Zerbi with seven goals and three assists from 16 appearances across all tournaments.
Ferguson racked up three goals and two assists in the space of four Premier League games across December and January, while he has netted three times en route to the FA Cup semi-finals.
The teenager's exploits earned him his first two caps for the Republic of Ireland last November, and he scored his first goal for his country in Wednesday's 3-2 friendly win over Latvia.
Having penned a professional contract on his 18th birthday, Ferguson is tied to the Seagulls until 2026, but the striker is already being tipped to move to a Champions League-chasing club.
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Manchester United are believed to be lining up a summer approach for Ferguson, while Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with a strong interest.
However, The Sun reports that Ferguson will snub interest from members of the Premier League's Big Six in order to continue his development at Brighton.
Ireland take on France in their latest Euro 2024 qualifier in Dublin on Thursday night, and Man United are reportedly planning to send scouts to the Aviva Stadium ahead of an expected start for Ferguson.
While Man United would be able to offer Ferguson a more lucrative salary and a possible route into the Champions League, the teenager feels that staying put at the Amex is the right move at this stage in his career.
Ferguson initially represented Bohemians at youth level before catching the eye of Brighton scouts, who brought him to the South Coast in January 2021, and he has since risen through the youth ranks to play a prominent role under De Zerbi.
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In total, the Ireland international has seven goals and four assists to boast from 20 senior games for Brighton, who sit seventh in the Premier League table - level on points with Liverpool, who have played a game more - thanks to Ferguson's exploits.
The 18-year-old also contributed a brace to his side's 5-0 FA Cup thumping of Grimsby Town in the quarter-finals, setting up a Wembley showdown with admirers Man United for a spot in the showpiece match.
Ahead of Ireland's showdown with France, Ferguson's opposite number Kylian Mbappe gave the teenager his seal of approval in his pre-match press conference, saying: "We saw some clips of him.
"Of course, he is an important striker for the Ireland team but we hope he's going to do nothing tomorrow and that means we'll win. We are going to do our job."
Man United currently have Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst available as their central attacking options following Cristiano Ronaldo's bitter exit, although it is yet to be determined if the latter's loan deal from Burnley will be made permanent.
In any case, a new big-name striker will be top of the Red Devils' agenda this summer, with the likes of Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen and Randal Kolo Muani mentioned as possible targets.
Ben Knapton
