Brighton will resist any move for the 19-year-old forward, who has just penned a contract until 2029 and could cost more than £100m.
The Seagulls are under no pressure to sell and do not want to lose another gem to Chelsea, who were able to convince them to pay £115m for Moises Caicedo last summer.
Brighton’s reluctance to lose another star to Chelsea is thought to be a major obstacle to a future deal for Ferguson.
The Republic of Ireland international attracted interest from Manchester United and Tottenham last summer, with him linked with a potential replacement for Harry Kane.
Alan Shearer last year described Ferguson, who has scored six goals in 24 appearances for Brighton this season, as a “very special talent” and “could be a superstar”.
Ferguson’s profile fits in with the youth-first approach Chelsea are taking in the transfer market, meaning they don’t have to break up their wage structure to bring in a top-class striker.
Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney could command more than £200,000-a-week, while Ferguson is likely to command around half that.
Chelsea have already raided Brighton for a number of players and managers, and the Seagulls will resist signing another asset. The Blues paid £63m for left-back Marc Cucurella, £25m for goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and £21.5m for Graham Potter, a record fee for a coach.
Chelsea also poached sporting director Paul Winstanley, scout Kyle Macaulay and head goalkeeper Ben Roberts from Brighton, giving the south coast club well over £200m over three transfer windows. paid.
The Blues have made a new striker their top transfer priority, but manager Mauricio Pochettino insists there is no rush to sign a forward in January.
Chelsea will spend a lot of money in the summer, but their transfer funds will be reduced if they fail to qualify for Europe again.
Osimhen’s contract with Napoli includes a release clause of £112m. Brentford have ruled out Toney leaving in January and are likely to demand more than £80m for the player at the end of the season.
Chelsea are also rumored to be signing Feyenoord’s Santiago Jimenez, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Stuttgart’s Selhawe Guirassy.
The Blues are taking care this month to ensure profit and sustainability rules are followed. Conor Gallagher and Trevor Chalobah face uncertain futures at Stamford Bridge.