Crysencio Summerville’s explanation for his move to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal will have West Ham fans in hysterics.
West Ham fans have wished Crysencio Summerville well after his move to Al Hilal for a number of reasons.
It was inevitable one or two top players would be sold by the Hammers after relegation.
By raising £155m with the sales of Summerville and Mateus Fernandes, it means West Ham have been able to keep the core of their squad, including talisman Jarrod Bowen.
Summerville will have Hammers howling at Al Hilal explanation
The Dutchman did everything right and handled himself with class throughout the process of leaving the east London club.
Summerville also snubbed Spurs out of respect to West Ham fans, it has now been confirmed after his blockbuster £65m move to Saudi.
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Summerville then put his pal Kudus to shame with his touching Hammers farewell after the move was made official this weekend.
Roma, Manchester United, PSG, Aston Villa and Chelsea were all linked with a move for Summerville.
Many fans, pundits and journalists have bemoaned the fact he has chosen to play in Saudi aged just 24.
While the Saudi Pro League can no longer be referred to as a footballing backwater, the league is vastly inferior to Europe’s top competitions.
After signing a four-year deal at Al Hilal, where he will earn an eye-watering £15m per season, the former Leeds winger will now spend his peak years there, which many feel is a shame for his career and football as money talks once again.
Summerville says he used to watch Al Hilal after West Ham exit
But Summerville’s explanation for his move to Al Hilal will have West Ham fans howling.
When a new player joins a club they almost always lay on the charm in a bid to get supporters on their side from the get-go.
It is par for the course.
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Hammers fans used to find it hilarious when their own new signings would claim to have watched or supported the club growing up after arriving in east London.
But Summerville is kidding nobody as he says he used to watch Al Hilal games and tried to make out the move is not about money.
The former Hammer says the choice was ‘easy’ for him – no kidding Cry! – and that he watched Al Hilal games last summer.
“The choice was easy for me,” Summerville told Saudi press.
“They call it the Real Madrid of this side (of the world), you know.
“You guys played two or three years ago in the Club World Cup, and I watched the games.”
Thankfully Cry stopped short of saying he grew up watching Al Hilal from the North Bank of the 28,000 capacity Kingdom Arena.
It’s all showbiz isn’t it and Cry has to do what he has to do. Everyone knows he has gone there for the money but given how short a football career can be, especially if injuries get in the way, who can really blame him?
West Ham won’t be complaining of course because Summerville moving to Saudi pocketed the club a premium price for a player who, in truth, only had a dozen good games and two bad injuries during two years at the club.
Moving to Saudi is also much more palatable for Hammers fans than seeing the Dutchman joining a rival.
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