Former West Brom and Crystal Palace defender Nathan Ferguson has joined Pompey Slovakia. Pic: Gettyplaceholder image
Former West Brom and Crystal Palace defender Nathan Ferguson has joined Pompey Slovakia. Pic: Getty | Getty Images
The man who was was the subject of a collapse £8m transfer has joined Pompey in Slovakia, as he looks to get his career firing.
Nathan Ferguson has joined Pompey’s squad as their summer transfer chase continues.
The Blues are running the rule over the former Crystal Palace and West Brom man, who has linked up with John Mousinho’s squad in pre-season.
Ferguson is part of the first-team group who is with the Blues as part of their summer training camp in Slovakia.
The 24-year-old, who can play as a left-back or central defender, has been joined by keeper Stuart Moore as two surprise new faces in the Pompey playing group.
Moore, who is from the Isle of Wight and was with the Blues academy as a youngster, is a free agent this summer after leaving Morecambe.
Ferguson was the subject of an £8m collapse transfer move to Palace in January 2020, but later moved to Selhurst Park with his side ordered to pay just £900,000 at a tribunal.
West Brom rejected a £4m bid for the Birmingham talent before the £8m figure was agreed, but a knee issue was flagged in Ferguson’s medical which led to the move initially falling apart.
A deal was concluded in July 2020 with a tribunal setting the compensation figure 13 months later. By that time Ferguson had been fighting an issue with the knee before suffering a torn Achilles tendon.
That led to the player featuring just once for the Eagles, with Ferguson not playing a competitive game since a 3-0 Palace defeat to Spurs in December 2021.
Now though he’s aiming to put his injury issues behind him and earn himself a contract, after emerging as one of the Championship's most exciting defenders with West Brom.
Mousinho confirmed the player’s presence with his squad, with Ferguson also spending time with the Blues last season.
He said: ‘We’ve got Nathan Ferguson here and Stuart Moore. They’re two great characters and really good players.
‘It’s certainly been different in terms of their journeys here.
‘Nathan certainly had a very promising career at a young age, unfortunately injuries took their toll. So it’s really good to see him back out there and looking fit as a base level.
‘Nathan was with us at the end of last season and he was a player who was with us at the training ground last week, so he’s a player we’re familiar with.’
Moore has joined the Pompey goalkeeping group under coach goalkeeping Joe Prodomo, with Nico Schmid, Jordan Archer and Ben Killip all in Slovakia.
That’s with rising star Toby Steward on the brink of completing a move to St Johnstone, with that move due to be officially confirmed imminently.
Steward, who impressed on loan in League One with Crawley at the end of last season, is expected to feature in a friendly for his new club against Falkirk tonight.
Mousinho added: ‘Stuart is coming in to help the goalkeeping department, because we’re looking to strengthen there. It’s good to look at these players day in, day out when you’re away.’
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