Leeds United sold Crysencio Summerville for a deal that could rise to £34m, and within months he is being backed as a potential Mohamed Salah replacement.
Steven Gerrard’s assessment reflects a winger whose rise has been rapid, but not unexpected, given his trajectory at Elland Road and beyond. The Dutchman is shining in a West Ham shirt after his exit in 2024.
With Mohamed Salah set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, attention has turned to who could step into one of the Premier League’s most demanding roles.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Gerrard suggested Summerville as a contender to replace one of the Premier League’s best-ever players in Salah. Just two years after leaving Leeds, he could be in contention.
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“I like Summerville. He is brilliant in one v ones, he looks hungry. In a team that has struggled he has been a shining light and got better as the season has gone on,” Liverpool legend Gerrard said.
That is a serious endorsement. It places Summerville in a conversation reserved for elite wide players and reflects the level he has reached since leaving Leeds.
Gerrard’s point is rooted in performance rather than projection, highlighting a player already producing decisive moments in a struggling side.
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West Ham form shows why he is now in that conversation
The evidence behind that claim sits in Summerville’s current West Ham stats, with the Hammers star starting to show consistency. He has had a hand in 11 goals, scoring seven times and creating four.
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo speaks to Crysencio Summerville.
Photo by Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Those numbers represent a clear step forward from his 2024-25 numbers, where his influence was less sustained over a full season. He managed just one goal all season last term, against Man United.
The shift is in consistency as much as output. He is now impacting matches regularly rather than in isolated moments. That development aligns with Gerrard’s assessment.
Leeds sold at £30m but his trajectory is still rising
Leeds saw the early signs during the 2023-24 campaign, when Summerville recorded 31 goals and assists in 2023-24 and won the Championship Player of the Year award.
That season established him as a decisive attacking player, capable of carrying responsibility and producing consistently over time.
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Leeds sold him for an initial £25m fee, with add-ons that could take the deal toward £34m, including bonuses linked to performance and a Netherlands senior cap.
At the time, that reflected his Championship output. His current Premier League trajectory suggests that valuation may not hold for long if his development continues at this rate.
Gerrard’s comments do not elevate Summerville beyond his level. They confirm it. Leeds sold a winger who had already shown elite traits, and the Premier League is now seeing them delivered consistently.
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