As interest in transferring Crysencio Summerville grew this summer, he and those close to him wrote down the pros and cons of each club he could join.
Chelsea and Liverpool were among those inquiring about the 22-year-old Dutchman, but securing playing time was crucial for Summerville and neither were viewed favorably due to the number of wingers in their squad.
West Ham United‘s sales pitch made the difference.
Summerville, whom he eventually bought from Leeds United for £25 million ($32 million), has been assured playing time by his new manager, Julen Lopetegui. Former West Ham first-team assistant coach John Heitinga also helped convince him to join the east Londoners and, as previously reported, manager Tim Steidten urged him to succeed, as did the club’s summer signings. club Edson Alvarez and Muhammad Qudus. 2023. Done.
Kudus received a red card for violent conduct in the 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and will be banned for at least three matches and will miss upcoming matches against Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Everton. Although West Ham will be without a key player in these games, his suspension will give Summerville a chance to show why he should start more often.
Lopetegui has slowly integrated him into the starting XI and his only league start came in a 3-0 home win over Chelsea a month ago. One of nine summer signings since Lopetegui was named David Moyes’ successor, he showed signs of his talent as a substitute and was unlucky not to score in the Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth. He operated mainly on the left, but Lopetegui preferred to place Quds in that position, with Lucas Paquetá in the number 10 position, captain Jarrod Bowen on the right and Michael Antonio as the only forward.
GO DEEPER
It’s time for West Ham to release Crisencio Summerville
Kudus is effective on the ball and brings speed, strength and skill, which is why he also had suitors in the summer, although that interest did not lead to official offers. The 24-year-old Ghana international was one of West Ham’s bright sparks before being sent off against Tottenham and his impending absence will give Summerville the chance to act on Steidten’s challenge when Lopetegui released him.
Quds sent off against Tottenham (Sean Botterill/Getty Images)
The Spanish side lack a recognizable playing style and personality two months into their debut season, but their reaction to the Spurs defeat and poor start to 2024-25 overall has assured West Ham fans that they will Better times are coming.
Perhaps those moments arise from the integration of Summerville. When Lopetegui met the winger in the summer, the pair discussed the possibility of West Ham competing in Europe again after winning the Conference League final under Moyes in 2022-23. This was another contributing factor to Somerville’s decision to join and something he referenced in his first interview with the club’s internal media.
“I talked to the head coach and he made me believe that I can make an impact and help him be successful in the new season,” Summerville said. West Ham website. “I think I’m here to make more history and I want to help West Ham get back to Europe.”
With eight points from as many games, West Ham’s chances of securing European football for next season look fantastic at the moment. Summerville’s real goal is to help forwards Bowen and Antonio find consistency. The pair’s best performance of the season came in a 4-1 win over Ipswich, but they only made another fleeting impression.
Lopetegui has yet to implement a system in which both can thrive, but Somerville has many attributes that could help solve those problems.
Can Summerville help Antonio and Bowen? (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
His chance to show why he has been on West Ham’s radar since last summer begins this weekend with a home game against Manchester United.
Summerville showed he can be a team provider last season, with 10 assists for Leeds as they reached the Championship play-off final before losing to Southampton. In total, he made 89 appearances in all competitions, scoring 25 goals, and moved from his native Feyenoord in the summer of 2020 for £1.3 million ($1.7 million at current exchange rates). After scoring 19 goals in 43 league games in 2023-24, he was voted Player of the Year by his fellow Professional Footballers’ Association teammates. He can dribble past opponents, draw defenders into fouls, and initiate attacks.
In these next three games, Summerville will be seen as the first option in attack on the left side. The winger’s teammate, Luis Guillermo, signed from Brazilian side Palmeiras in the summer, but at just 18 years old he does not appear to be at the level necessary to make an immediate impact in the Premier League.
Lopetegui spoke about Summerville last month before the 1-1 draw against Fulham, where the winger played in the second half, and urged him to take advantage of his opportunities when they arise: “He has had minutes and he will have more minutes. We’re happy for him and he’s working very hard. “He is going to give us some good moments, but he has a long, marathon season ahead of him and he will be in many of our games.”
That moment has arrived.
Motivation is easy for Summerville, who is looking to earn a senior call-up to the Netherlands this season after amassing 37 caps from under-16 to under-21 level.
He is not content to wait on the sidelines. Now he has the chance to show why West Ham’s attack will be so much richer with him in it.
(Foto superior: Zach Goodwin/PA Images vía Getty Images)
