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Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal have blown Crysencio Summerville’s European suitors out of the water after agreeing a deal worth £68.2million with West Ham United for the winger, TEAMtalk can reveal.
The Dutch forward had looked destined to remain in Europe, with Roma leading the race for much of the summer and preparing an offer worth around £45million.
That bid would have represented a healthy £20million profit for West Ham, who signed Summerville from Leeds United for £25million in 2024.
However, the landscape changed dramatically once Al-Hilal received encouragement from the player’s camp.
Sources have confirmed to us that the Saudi club first made contact ahead of the World Cup finals before renewing discussions again in June as they monitored the situation.
Initially, there was uncertainty over whether Summerville would be prepared to make the move to the Middle East.
But once his representatives indicated the player was open to the transfer, Al-Hilal acted swiftly.
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Man Utd, Roma blown out of the water in Summerville chase
TEAMtalk understands an agreement worth £68.2million has now been reached with West Ham, while personal terms have also been agreed, paving the way for the 24-year-old’s move to Saudi Arabia.
The size of the offer left European clubs with little chance of competing.
Roma had been increasingly confident of securing Summerville and were progressing towards a deal before Al-Hilal’s intervention transformed the market.
Man Utd also explored the possibility of entering the race as they assessed options to strengthen their attacking department, but ultimately had no opportunity to compete once the Saudi offer arrived.
West Ham, meanwhile, have accepted a deal that represents a substantial return on a player they signed just over a year ago.
Summerville enjoyed an encouraging first season at the London Stadium and had continued to attract interest across Europe following his performances for club and country.
However, the financial package presented by Al-Hilal proved impossible for all parties to ignore.
We understand the transfer is now effectively complete, with only the remaining formalities to be concluded before Summerville is officially unveiled as Al-Hilal’s latest marquee signing.
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