Evan Ferguson reveals how Gasperini inspired Roma move | OneFootball

Roma have officially completed the signing of Brighton striker Evan Ferguson on a season-long loan with an option to make the transfer permanent.

The Irishman revealed how “it is hard to turn down an offer” from a “club like Roma, one of the biggest in Europe” in his first interview with the club.

‘Gasperini an excellent coach to play for’ – Ferguson

Speaking in the interview, Ferguson praised new Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini and revealed how the coach’s presence in the Italian capital helped influence his own decision to join the club:

“Obviously, before signing for a club, you have to look at who the coach is and how he manages the team, and I think that at this stage of my career, Gasperini could be an excellent person to play for, to work with, and to learn from, given that he obviously has an excellent track record with strikers. I hope the same goes for me.”

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 01: Evan Ferguson of Brighton & Hove Albion arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at City Ground on February 01, 2025 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Evan Ferguson joins from Brighton in the same summer that another former Premier League striker, Tammy Abraham, left the club. A disappointing loan spell at West Ham capped off a disappointing 2024-25 campaign for Ferguson but the Irishman is eager to prove his doubters wrong:

“When I landed, I immediately understood the local culture and, in particular, how important this club is. Upon arrival, I heard the fans’ cheers, I saw cameras and fans being interviewed, so it’s a great honor to come here to play in front of people who hope I can do well.

“I would say that I have different characteristics and I can do many different things, but first of all I want to get here and score a lot of goals, improve myself and get back into the game.

“I’m happy that people are talking about me, but it’s not important, because I’ll do well if the team does well. In that case, people will talk about me, but for me it’s not important, I just want to get on the pitch, play football and score goals.”

epa12073520 Roma’s Artem Dovbyk (R) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the 1-0 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and ACF Fiorentina, in Rome, Italy, 04 May 2025. EPA-EFE/ANGELO CARCONI

Ferguson reveals aim for strong partnership with Dovbyk

Just last summer, Roma purchased Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk from La Liga side Girona in a €38 million deal. Gasperini will now look to balance his two attacking options, with the possibility that he will play the two alongside one another.

Evan Ferguson seems to relish the prospect of working alongside such talented players as Dovbyk: “Obviously, the club is full of good players, especially the names you mentioned. Dovbyk is one of them. I hope we can form a good partnership right from training. Then we’ll see what happens and what formation the coach chooses. I hope we’ll have a good season and experience some great moments together.”

In the 2024-25 Premier League season, Evan Ferguson struggled, scoring just one goal in 21 appearances for both Brighton and West Ham. However, the Irish forward will be hoping to turn over a new leaf and recover some of his form that made him such an exciting youth prospect a few years ago.