West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has recognized that Crysencio Summerville is making a strong case for a starting position. The Leeds United import made a notable impact as a substitute, scoring his debut goal for the Hammers in their 2-1 win over Manchester United.
Summerville joined West Ham for a reported £25 million after an impressive season with Leeds United in the 2023-24 campaign, where he scored 19 goals and provided nine assists, earning him the PFA Championship Player of the Season award.
This week, The Athletic noted that West Ham United’s sales pitch was the difference in the former Leeds United star’s decision to reject interest from Chelsea and Liverpool.
Gaining regular playing time was essential for Summerville, especially since he and the other players faced tough competition with so many wingers in their squads. That’s when the Hammers stepped in, reaching out to attract him.
“Their new head coach Julen Lopetegui assured Summerville, who eventually signed from Leeds United for £25million ($32m), of game time,” The Athletic stated.
“John Heitinga, West Ham’s former assistant first-team coach, also helped convince him to join the east Londoners and, as mentioned previously, technical director Tim Steidten challenged him to become a success, like the club’s 2023 summer signings Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus have done.”
Crysencio Summerville receives a vote of confidence
Credit: Imago Images
Ahead of the contest against Nottingham Forest, Lopetegui spoke to the media and tipped that the former Leeds United standout could be in the starting XI on Saturday.
“He is ready to help us, sometimes in the line-up, sometimes on the bench,” Lopetegui said (h/t Leeds Live). “They all have to be ready. He has his characteristics, there are no two players with the same strengths and we try to use them in different moments.
“The important thing is that Crys is working well and he is ready to help the team. I think he is doing well. He has played good matches with us. OK, we decided to put players in the line-up for different reasons but we are thinking too sometimes we need to have these players on the bench.
“He’s a good player, a good boy, he works hard. It’s his first experience in West Ham, a demanding club. He is working well and we are happy with him.”
