Crysencio Summerville has been given permission to discuss a potential bargain million move to West Ham United after talks progressed between Leeds and the Premier League outfit.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
This time last year, Leeds’ preparations for the new Championship campaign were being impacted by the uncertainty surrounding many a key player, Wilfried Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville among those with admirers.
12 months on, history appears to be repeating itself for Daniel Farke’s side.
HITC understands that Everton – who tried and failed to sign Gnonto last summer – have been in talks again, albeit those discussions have since stalled.
Summerville, meanwhile, appears to have seen his own Elland Road departure take one major step forwards with fewer than two weeks remaining before Leeds’ opening day clash with Portsmouth.
Leeds’ Crysencio Summerville nearing West Ham move
Leeds informed the 2023/24 Championship Player of the Year at the start of the window that they would consider cashing in for the right price.
Talks over a move to West Ham have since progressed to the point that Summerville’s camp have now been given permission to open negotiations over the terms of the deal.
Leeds initially demanded around £30 million, However, sources have now told HITC that a deal could be completed for lower than that fee, with The Hammers potentially getting a bargain.
West Ham clearly still have money to spend, despite having already invested heavily in Max Kilman and the ‘extraordinary’ Luis Guilherme. New head coach Julen Lopetegui was frequently left frustrated by Wolves’ lack of financial muscle but it appears The Hammers are not suffering from similar issues.
The sprightly Summerville scored 21 goals and set up ten more for Leeds in 2023/24 as the Yorkshire giants narrowly missed out on automatic promotion before losing to Southampton in the play-offs.
At his most effective when cutting in from the left, Summerville would compete with fellow new recruit Guilherme if indeed he does end up donning claret-and-blue before September’s transfer deadline.
HITC understands that Summerville has also caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
Arne Slot is the main man at Anfield these days. And the Dutch boss has made no secret of his admiration for the one-time Feyenoord prospect.
“I’ll just mention a name so you can write about it again. I would have liked to see Summerville on our side,” Slot told Voetbal Zone while still at the helm of the Eredivisie powerhouses.
“But he is too expensive. I have found him an interesting player for a long time.”
West Ham also keen on Feyenoord’s Lutsharel Geertruida
Liverpool are also admirers of another Slot favourite, Lutsharel Geertruida.
HITC can confirm, meanwhile, that West Ham have enquired about Geertruida too during their discussions with Summerville’s representatives. As things stand, however, the 2023 Conference League winners are yet to step up their initial interest in the versatile, Rotterdam-born defender.
Interestingly, Geertruida encouraged Summerville to ‘leave’ Leeds midway through last season.
There is a possibility – albeit currently a small one – that two Feyenoord graduates could be reunited at the London Stadium. West Ham do appear to be prioritising Man United’s Aaaron Wan-Bissaka over Geertruida for the right-back spot as things stand.
On the upside, as far as Leeds are concerned, Summerville’s potential departure could free up funds for another of the Championship’s finest attackers to make the switch to Elland Road.
Leeds are big admirers of Norwich City’s £20 million-rated playmaker Gabriel Sara.
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