Liverpool dominated West Ham 5-2 with striker Hugo Ekitike playing the starring role with three goal contributions, but the struggles of winger Mohamed Salah was just as big of a storyline. And perhaps with Cody Gakpo and Salah struggling to win on the outside, the Reds could look to that very Hammer side for a solution out wide in Crysencio Summerville.
There is no shame in losing to the reigning Premier League champions, but with each passing defeat, West Ham draw closer to the relegation zone – a threat that has been palpable for years now.
With more than 100 million pounds in losses already, relegation could quicken a financial crisis that has already been brewing for the Hammers, necessitating high profile sales of star players with transfer value.
Though most of the conversation would focus on the club’s biggest star, forward Jarrod Bowen, young left winger Crysencio Summerville could be more appealing to the Premier League Big Six because of his future upside.
A Dutch international, Summerville is an explosive young talent with the athleticism, one-on-one ability, and goal scoring upside to potentially intrigue Liverpool as an alternative to Gakpo out wide.
In replacing Salah, Liverpool would have to aim higher and go for a left footer, but the 24-year-old Summerville has plenty of traits Liverpool are looking for – and traits they do not have.
Even on a terrible West Ham team, Summerville has four goals, and his other stats are being vastly overlooked on a terrible team. He has 3.3 combined fouls drawn and dribbles completed per game, which are elite numbers for a winger.
He is also averaging 1.3 tackles per game and barely getting dribbled past, contributing to a high level almost at the caliber of some Premier League fullbacks in his defending.
Liverpool need someone athletic, with untapped potential who will work hard for the team on both ends of the pitch, beat their man, and do the dirty work to start attacks from deep with the ball at his feet.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.