Leicester City and Fulham have suffered a blow in the pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson.
It was reported in early November that a host of Premier League sides were keen on the services of the forward ahead of the January transfer window.
Articles suggested that Ferguson had been put on the loan list for New Year, meaning that he could be an easy target for top-flight suitors.
The Irishman has struggled to make an impact on the South Coast since the arrival of new head coach Fabian Hurzeler following the departure of Roberto De Zerbi.
Since making the switch from Bohemians during the summer of 2021, Ferguson has netted on 17 occasions across 75 first-team appearances for the Seagulls.
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"Mischievous rumours" - Brighton CEO shuts down Ferguson talk
Speaking to talkSPORT, Brighton CEO Paul Barber has poured cold water over the idea of young striker Ferguson leaving the South Coast club in the New Year.
"Evan is a really important part of the squad. Sometimes mischievous rumours emerge from various strange places and one or two journalists will buy into those ideas, put out there by one or two other clubs perhaps in some cases," said Brighton man Barber.
"But Evan is very happy, we are very happy with Evan, we expect him to be an important of the squad throughout the season.
"Unfortunately, sometimes in this business we know that the rumour mill and the noise on the outside is stuff you have to ignore."
Ferguson has also been linked to the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal in the past, although that particular duo was not mentioned in a potential loan pursuit of the player.
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Back to the drawing board for Leicester
With Brighton's hierarchy openly shutting down rumours of a potential King Power Stadium switch for Ferguson, Leicester will need to look elsewhere ahead of the January window.
It appears as if the Foxes are in need of serious reinforcements, especially following a 4-1 battering at Brentford in the league on Saturday afternoon.
Incoming head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy watched from the stands as Leicester were convincingly beat at the Gtech Community Stadium, although Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte managed to open the scoring during the West London contest.
