When Crysencio Summerville nudged for a short-term loan deal in January he was met with the uncompromising ‘no’ of Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentinian manager’s philosophy was clear when it came to the under-23s: those good enough to contribute to the first team were kept in West Yorkshire, and with the litany of injuries that had the 2021/2022 campaign on a knife edge it was these under-23s that packed the substitutes bench.
It was a strange kind of limbo for Summerville, alongside the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood and Charlie Cresswell, who were too good to be loaned out yet not good enough to usurp Bielsa’s trusted core. That limbo was more defined for the 20-year-old who proved he was a class above the Premier League 2 - with six goals and one assist in 768 minutes (equal to about 8.5 games) - yet had to compete for first-team action with Raphinha.
It meant that last season, at 20-years-old - a time when consistent minutes are so crucial - the Dutch youngster racked up just 1,015 minutes, only 125 of which were for the first team. Leeds under-23’s relegation into the second division of the youth league makes it all the more crucial for Summerville to be involved in first-team action next season, at Leeds or elsewhere.
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Jesse Marsch doesn’t hold the same aversion to loaning out players as his predecessor, and there have already been reports of discussions between himself and Cresswell over a loan move away, making that very much an option. Summerville’s current deal at Elland Road runs out in 2023, and The Athletic’s Phil Hay wrote on Saturday that there is interest in the Netherlands under-21 international.
“His contract is counting down and an extension is under discussion but the club have not yet committed to allowing him to take up loan opportunities in the season ahead, despite the fact that he is a fair way down the pecking order.” He told readers. “Nottingham Forest like him, as do Sheffield United. There is interest from abroad too. Summerville will want game time.”
This summer could prove a decisive one for Summerville’s future at Leeds. He is currently fourth in the pecking order of wingers behind Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Dan James, but second behind his Brazilian teammate as a natural right-sided player. Should Raphinha leave the club this summer - and the intensifying speculation from the likes of Barcelona, Tottenham and Arsenal suggests he might - then Summerville could force his way into contention.
The sale of Raphinha would, of course, force Victor Orta to find a replacement. But that is not likely to be another player of Raphinha’s outstanding quality - i.e. it will probably be someone who Summerville can genuinely compete with for minutes if he applies himself. Should the former Rennes man stay, however, then a decision needs to be made and it needs to be made with minutes in mind.
This summer undoubtedly presents a crossroads not just for Summerville personally, but for the likes of Marsch and Orta in how they decide to deal with his situation. Next season cannot be another season wasted on the bench of the senior side with little to show for it, and it certainly cannot be a season in the second division of the youth leagues.
Either way, the club knows they have an exciting talent on their books with bags of potential. That cannot be taken for granted and Summerville’s contract cannot be allowed to run its course - whether next season sees him at Elland road or elsewhere.
