It is common knowledge that Crysencio Summerville has probably played his last competitive game in a West Ham United shirt.
What is less certain, though, is what colour shirt the Dutchman will be wearing when the new season kicks off in August.
Summerville is yet to return to Rush Green following his starring role for the Netherlands at the World Cup. When he does return, you can expect to see speculation over the winger’s future kick up a notch.
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Hammers News can confirm that Summerville has his heart set on joining Manchester United. Rumours of a £40 million release clause are wide of the mark, but only ever so slightly. More like hitting the post than wildly slashed into the stands.
Summerville’s release clause is understood to sit at £50 million. As a result, West Ham United are unlikely to benefit from a bidding war with a fee already decided upon.
In the meantime, the Dutchman’s representatives made the trip to Italy this week. Long-time admirers Roma are not foolish enough to put all their eggs in the Summerville basket though, identifying Chelsea’s newly-dreadlocked disaster Alejandro Garnacho among a handful of alternatives.
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One of Xabi Alonso’s first acts at Stamford Bridge – much to the bemusement of the Man United fans who still feel betrayed by their one-time peroxide prince – was to confirm that Garnacho is not part of his plans.
According to Gianluca di Marzio, one of Italy’s most respected reporters, Roma have offered Chelsea a £34 million package via the medium of an initial loan deal. The Giallorossi are also reported to have agreed personal terms with Strasbourg speedster Diego Moreira and have an interest in Club Brugge talisman Christos Tzolis, albeit he looks to be closing in on Arsenal.
Either way, Roma are understandably reluctant to bet the farm on the expensive, Old Trafford-leaning Summerville.
“There was a meeting [on Tuesday] in Rome. Summerville’s agents are the same as [former Union Berlin defender Danilo] Doekhi, who signed a three-year contract with Lazio, so the agents were already in Rome,” reporter Matteo Moretto says on his YouTube channel.
“There was this meeting. Roma are following Summerville. He’s a profile that they like a lot, as they like other players, like for example Moreira, like for example Garnacho, but you also have to take into account the costs of the operations and the exit formulas of these players.
“Summerville costs around £50 million. It’s a very, very high figure. I’m not saying prohibitive, but very high. Roma knows it’s a complicated operation financially.
“Let’s say the meeting went well from the point of view of the harmony between the parties, but what I want to add to you is that now the parties, especially Roma, will take a period of reflection to understand whether they can actually afford this type of purchase or not financially.”
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Even if Roma could afford to trigger Summerville’s release clause, one suspects he would be in no rush to make a final decision.
Man United need a solution to their Marcus Rashford problem before they can consider spending a sizeable portion of their budget on a replacement. And with few clubs seemingly knocking on Rashford’s door – Barcelona preferred to spend a frankly obscene sum on Anthony Gordon – Man United may be waiting a while before they can go all-in on Summerville.
In the meantime, if Roma are making bids for Garnacho and discussing personal terms with Moreira, the implication is that the Giallorossi are ready to accept defeat and move onto alternatives.
A Hammers side who saw the Mateus Fernandes saga drag on for an entire month, then, should probably strap themselves in for an even longer summer subplot.
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