Chelsea have been linked with one of the Championship's best players last season
New Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca(Image credit: Getty Images)
Chelsea’s busy summer could see them move for one of the best players in last season’s Championship.
The Blues have had a typical hectic time since the 2023/24 season ended with a sixth-place finish, as boss Mauricio Pochettino left the club shortly after the campaign ended, to be replaced by Enzo Maresca, who had just led Leicester City back to the Premier League.
The Stamford Bridge side have also been one of the Premier League’s early movers in the transfer market, first signing Tosin Adarabioyo on a free from Fulham, before bringing in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester, Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa and Renato Veiga from Basel, while moving on Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall and Omari Hutchinson.
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Another splashy move could soon be on the way, as Maresca could be ready to again return to the Championship to land the second tier’s Player of the Season, Crysencio Summerville of Leeds United.
That’s according to Teamtalk, who report that the Blues have held talks with the 22-year-old’s representatives over a potential move to west London this summer. Chelsea were first linked with the Dutch winger in February, as Summerville enjoyed a season that saw him score 21 goals and lay on ten assists for Leeds.
But the Premier League side may have to do battle with Rennes, who are said to be wanting raid Elland Road again, following this week’s signing of midfielder Glen Kamara from the West Yorkshire side.
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Crysencio Summerville in action for Leeds United (Image credit: Getty Images)
The report adds that Leeds’ asking price is believed to be in the £30million to £35million range, and the club expect Summerville to leave this summer, despite the player not publically requesting a move.
The Dutch under-21 star is under contract at Leeds until 2026, with the club already having seen a host of departures this summer as their failure to win promotion back to the Premier League begins the bite. Homegrown star Archie Gray has been the headline sale so far this summer, when he joined Tottenham for a fee of around £35million.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Summerville would fit the profile of the kind of player Chelsea have targeted in recent windows - young, exciting and attack-minded. Last season saw Summerville knuckle down and really begin to deliver on his potential, as his dribbling ability and knack for cutting inside and shooting came to the fore.
Crysencio Summerville celebrates his late winner against Liverpool at Anfield in 2022 (Image credit: Nathan Stirk / Getty Images)
The nagging question would be whether or not he would have as much success against Premier League defenders and his slight frame could be an issue.
Transfermarkt value Summerville at €20million and from the Leeds end, if they were able to get a fee in excess of £30million for the 22-year-old, then this would be good from a business point of view. However, while Leeds fans saw the sale of Archie Gray as a kick in the teeth, they had hoped that would be the only major sale needed to ensure profitability and sustainability compliance and would mean they could hold firm when it came to selling other key players. A major replacement would be needed.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
