We're getting drawn into a silly argument.
I don't think it's wrong to say Ferguson wasn't better than anything we had at the time (Kamara, Aribo, Davis, Jack, Arfield, etc.). He looks to be more than good enough for us now, but he wasn't then.
However, what he was was a promising young player, who was performing well and was seen as one of the best midfielders in the league.
These types of players should not be sniffed at. Even if they just become decent squad players, they should be looked at.
How was Jack received at the time?