West Ham signing labelled ‘best player in the league’ as coach says he’s irreplaceable. West Ham United know all too well the heartbreak of losing your star man. After captaining The Hammers to Europa Conference League glory in 2023 – their first piece of silverware since 1980 – Declan Rice bid an emotional farewell as he sealed a £105 million move to Arsenal.
But in the case of Leeds United, they did not only lose their most influential player, but ‘the best player in the league’.
And that’s official, too.
Crysencio Summerville might have missed out on promotion or the Golden Boot but he did end last term with the Championship’s Player of the Year award to show for his 21 goals, 10 assists and countless defender-dazzling displays.
Despite catching the eye of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool – who’s head coach Arne Slot was previously priced out of luring him to Feyenoord – Summerville put pen to paper with West Ham last week.
Alongside Max Kilman, Luis Guilherme and new £27 million centre-forward Niclas Fullkrug, Summerville takes West Ham’s spending well in excess of £100 million.
Former Barcelona target Guido Rodriguez also joins on a free transfer after leaving Real Betis.
And as West Ham opted to use the funds brought in by Rice’s sale to replace the England international ‘in the aggregate’ – to quote baseball visionary Billy Beane – it appears that Leeds are taking a similar approach to life post-Summerville.
“No secret that Crysencio was named the best player in the league,” head coach Daniel Farke tells Leeds Live. “(We) can’t replace such a player one on one. Don’t have enough money to do this in the Championship.
“(We) want to add another player in this position but not a one-on-one replacement. Too much pressure on the potential incoming.”
Farke believes that framing any new recruit as a Summerville replacement would place ‘too much pressure’ on their shoulders.
Though pressure, as they say, is how diamonds are formed. Jonathan Rowe shone in very difficult circumstances at Norwich City last term. And HITC understands that he has emerged as a leading target for the Elland Road outfit after team-mate Gabriel Sara opted for Galatasaray.
It is testament, meanwhile, to the strength in depth at Leeds that the Yorkshire giants are still being earmarked as title favourites despite losing not only Summerville but also Glen Kamara, Jaidon Anthony and new £35 million Tottenham Hotspur signing Archie Gray.
Fullkrug excited by Summerville connection
“There’s a reason every top club in Europe went after Archie. Glen was big for us too. Out of favour at Rangers, we made money on him,” Farke says, Kamara exiting for Rennes in France.
“Losing Jaidon Anthony is hard too. (It is) difficult to integrate new players. Losing these players was one of the biggest reasons we were upset about losing the play-off final.”
Summerville, in his new London Stadium home, should add some balance to a West Ham team overloaded with forwards who prefer to play on the right.
Fullkrug, meanwhile, has spoken warmly about the excitement he feels at the prospect of lining up alongside Summerville, Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and co in that claret-and-blue shirt.
