'Is better' - What former Brighton boss said about incoming Portsmouth loanee Mark O'Mahony as comparisons to £100m-rated Evan Ferguson made
Incoming Pompey loanee Mark O’Mahony already has better qualities than Brighton’s £100m-rated frontman Ewan Ferguson.
That’s according to former Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi, who handed the talented teenager his full Premier League debut against Bournemouth at the end of last season.
The News understands the Blues are expected to announce the loan signing of the 19-year-old striker this week - after he fulfils Carabao Cup duties for Brighton against Crawley on Tuesday night. A deal has already been struck for the former Cork City striker who has also passed his Blues medical - with a potential Wednesday unveiling pencilled in.
That will give the Republic of Ireland under-21 international time to work his way into John Mousinho’s plans for Saturday’s visit of Sunderland to Fratton Park. It will also provide him with the opportunity to make only his fourth league appearance in England after arriving at the Amex Stadium from the League of Ireland in January 2023.
Back then, that deal cost the Premier League side a meagre £50,000 - which is, no doubt, way off what the Seagulls currently value the player, especially after De Zerbi claimed O’Mahony is already better than the hugely-rated Ferguson in aspects of his game.
Speaking after the young Irishman’s first Premier League start last April, the now Marseille boss said: ‘I think he can be the new Evan Ferguson because he seems a lot like Evan.
‘Maybe Evan has a different shot but Mark is better in terms of possession, he understands the play better.’
O’Mahony made his senior breakthrough at the Amex as his fellow countryman was sidelined with an ankle injury which forced him to miss the end of last term and the start of the current campaign.
Brighton, under new boss Fabian Hurzeler, have coped well in Ferguson’s absence, winning their first two Premier League games of the 2024-25 top-flight season against Everton and Manchester United respectively.
However, the Eire international still has a huge future ahead of him - hence why the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been linked with the striker following his breakthrough season in 2022-23.
Since then Ferguson has amassed 12 Premier League goals in 46 appearances.
O’Mahony, who is the same age, still has a long way to go before he can make such a mark on Brighton’s first-team. But according to De Zerbi, he’s more than capable - which hopefully Pompey fans will see once the formalities of his Fratton Park loan are completed.