Brighton boss believes Evan Ferguson loan move will help the club

"He came from the youth academy and that’s the way of the club."

The Ireland forward has been linked with a host of Premier League club in recent months, with the latest links to a struggling West Ham side the strongest so far.

Hurzeler had initially been adamant that he wanted to keep Ferguson at the Seagulls, but has since warmed to the idea of loaning the 20-year-old in January, and his latest comments further suggest that he is on board with sending the Meath man away.

He said:

He came from the youth academy and that’s the way of the club. We will negotiate what is important for him, what is important for his development, where he can improve the best and then we will make the decision together.

This decision should be what is best for the player and for the club... We know that the Premier League is a very good league to improve, because it’s tough, it’s intense, especially for young players. It’s the perfect environment to adapt.

'In the end, they want to play for Brighton and we want them to play for Brighton. So, when they improve in the environment of the league where we are also playing, it’s always very helpful. So, that’s why I am not thinking about making the other teams better, it’s more about what is best for the player.'

In response to the Ferguson rumours, new Hammers boss Graham Potter was coy on the idea of brining in the currently injured striker.

Potter stated: "He's a player, that's not a West Ham player, and until he's a West Ham player I won't speak about anybody.

"We've got enough good players here and they're my focus at the moment."