West Ham United are facing a serious fight to keep Crysencio Summerville, with clubs across Europe keeping an eye on the Dutchman.
According to the Daily Mail, London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a surprise bid to lure Summerville away from West Ham this month.
West Ham are already down to bare bones and cannot afford to lose any more players this winter.
The Hammers have brought in two recruits this month, signing Pablo Felipe from Gil Vincente for £21.8 million and Valentin Castellanos from Lazio for an undisclosed fee.
However, if recent form is anything to go by, the powers-that-be must splash the cash further to avoid relegation to the Championship at the end of the season.
West Ham currently sit 18th in the Premier League table, having taken 17 points from 22 league games.
The Hammers are just three points above 19th-placed Burnley and five behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, so they’re still firmly in the fight for survival.
New manager Nuno Espirito Santo is already under pressure to deliver. He needs all the help he can get, so it makes little sense that West Ham would even entertain interest in Summerville.
West Ham can’t afford to lose Summerville
Summerville has yet to prove himself in a West Ham shirt. The “outstanding” winger has shown flashes of his brilliance, but injury woes have significantly impacted his development in East London.
The 24-year-old has sparked into life in recent games after struggling to find his feet post-surgery.
He was on target in the 2-1 win over Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, netting the opening goal that helped to get West Ham over the line.
Summerville has now scored in back-to-back games after getting on the score sheet in the 2-1 FA Cup third round victory over Queens Park Rangers.
He’ll be hoping to stay injury-free and finally live up to the hype that got him to the Premier League following a £25m move from Leeds United.
Summerville is one of West Ham’s most potent weapons in the final third, and they must rebuff any advance from Tottenham, who are plotting another raid on their capital rivals.