Leeds United announce senior player transfer exit of summer window in eight-figure deal

Crysencio Summerville’s transfer from Leeds United to West Ham United has been confirmed by the Championship club as their 18th senior exit since May’s play-off final.

Eighteen senior players have now left Leeds United since May’s play-off final, with Crysencio Summerville the latest in that long line. West Ham United are understood to have agreed a deal in excess of £25m with the Whites, after triggering a release clause in the winger’s contract, that will also include add-ons.

It means the Whites have lost the best player in last season’s Championship and a third core member of the squad which hit 90 points last season. Summerville’s departure follows those of Archie Gray and Glen Kamara in leaving holes for Daniel Farke to fill.

Jayden Bogle and Joe Rothwell have already arrived to step into those voids, but Gretar Steinsson, Nick Hammond and Farke will now need to move on the attackers they have identified. Summerville’s departure comes as no surprise and Leeds will have known it was always likely the winger would leave once promotion was ruled out.

LeedsLive understands the clause, which United have confirmed tonight, in Summerville’s contract was activated when the Whites were relegated from the Premier League last year. With no meaningful senior experience to lean on, no clubs were willing to spend more than £25m on the youngster and he remained at Elland Road for last season.

In failing to win promotion, Summerville’s release clause remained active, a permanent version of those loan clauses which remained in place on Jack Harrison and Rasmus Kristensen’s deals. West Ham are the only club to have triggered the terms on the Dutchman’s contract, sealing the deal on Wednesday before taking him to the capital for a medical.

The transfer interest from West Ham in Summerville grew more serious during United’s recent training camp in Germany. On the morning of the friendly with Schalke, the former Feyenoord youth reported a hamstring complaint, just as Angus Kinnear was fielding calls from the Hammers.

Summerville will be remembered for playing a major part in Farke’s first season at the helm, having a hand in 28 goals and carrying the team in some of the darkest moments of the campaign. It was a big step forward from the wide man, who had been publicly criticised during the club’s relegation campaign by Jesse Marsch.

In November 2022, Marsch said: “I talked after the game against Liverpool that a big factor for him is discipline and professionalism and work ethic. I’ve been on top of him again this week to make sure he has a very good training week and he has looked really good and we’re hopeful that he can establish himself more and more.”

In the same press conference, he added: “It’s making sure he was getting here early enough, making sure he was putting work in the gym, he was preparing for training the right way, he was paying attention to video, he was applying the lessons we wanted to learn in training every day.

“Even then, when he was playing with the 21s, typically when he played with the 21s he was performing well, he is a gamer, he loves the match. It was more about helping him understand what the entire process of being a top professional is and making sure he’s committed to it all the way.”

Those comments came in the first press conference after Summerville’s October 30 birthday. Marsch was asked how the winger’s celebrations were and the American said he had declined his request to return to the Netherlands. Pictures on the player’s Instagram account at the time showed he had in fact headed home, despite Marsch’s instructions.

Fans will hope United have done the groundwork on possible replacements already and can now look to secure a new face as soon as possible, if not before next weekend’s opener with Portsmouth. In the meantime, Daniel James, Wilfried Gnonto, Brenden Aaronson and Georginio Rutter are the most natural options for Farke in wide areas.