Real Madrid 'add Evan Ferguson, Benjamin Sesko to striker shortlist'

The Spanish giants parted ways with club legend Karim Benzema earlier this summer, with the 35-year-old opting to run down his contract and end his 14-year association with the club to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad.

Carlo Ancelotti's side decided against spending big on a new striker and instead forked out around £115m on midfielder Jude Bellingham, who has hit the ground running with his new club after scoring six goals in as many games.

Real Madrid's only signing in the attacking department during the summer was the loan addition of 33-year-old Spaniard Joselu from Espanyol, but Los Blancos chiefs are believed to be working behind the scenes to recruit a new long-term No.9.

One of football's worst kept secrets is Real Madrid's desire to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, with a recent report claiming that the Spanish club will attempt to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with Mbappe - who is out of contract in June 2024 - in January.

There have been suggestions that Mbappe could sign a new deal with PSG, though, and with his long-term future in France still up in the air, Real Madrid are said to have drawn up a list of other attacking targets.

According to Fichajes, Los Blancos are closely monitoring the progress of three young strikers in the form of Brighton's Ferguson, Leipzig's Sesko and Club Brugge's Antonio Nusa.

Ferguson is said to be regarded as a promising acquisition for the future by Real Madrid, but they would likely have to fork out a fee in excess of £100m to lure the Republic of Ireland international away from Brighton.

At the age of just 18, Ferguson has established himself as one of the Premier League's brightest prospects under the tutelage of head coach Roberto De Zerbi, scoring 18 goals in 40 games since his professional debut in August 2021.

Ferguson was nominated for the 2022-23 PFA Young Player of the Year award after helping Brighton finish sixth in the Premier League and qualify for the Europa League, and he has since scored four goals in five top-flight games this season, including a hat-trick against Newcastle United earlier this month.

Ferguson, who is under contract at Brighton until June 2028, has also attracted interest from the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, the latter of whom allegedly failed with a £50m bid earlier this summer.

Sesko is another striker on Real Madrid's shortlist who has also attracted Premier League interest in recent years, with Chelsea believed to be one club who are contemplating an approach in January.

The 20-year-old Slovenia international joined Leipzig last summer for around £20m before returning from Red Bull Salzburg on loan, and he has since made a promising start to life in Germany, scoring three goals in his first five appearances this season.

Like Ferguson, Sesko still has five years remaining on his contract, and fellow Los Blancos target Nusa also possesses a long-term deal until the summer of 2027.

The versatile 18-year-old attacker was regularly used as an impact substitute for Club Brugge last season, but he has since been given more first-team opportunities in the new campaign, scoring two goals in five Belgian top-flight matches.

Nusa's early-season form was rewarded with an international call-up by Norway earlier this month and he scored on his home debut in a 6-0 friendly win over Jordan, before setting up two goals in his second appearance in a 2-1 win over Georgia in Euro 2024 qualifying.