Manchester United’s pursuit of Crysencio Summerville has hit a fresh obstacle, handing Roma a major opportunity to steal the race for the West Ham winger.
The Netherlands international is still enjoying an extended break after representing his country at the FIFA World Cup and has yet to report back to Rush Green for West Ham’s pre-season preparations.
Despite the Hammers’ relegation to the Championship, Summerville enhanced his reputation with an impressive campaign, attracting interest from several clubs across Europe. As a result, speculation over his future continues to intensify.
Manchester United remain one of the clubs most interested in signing the 24-year-old. However, while the Red Devils have made strengthening their attack a priority, financial restrictions are threatening to delay any concrete move.
United have already completed deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans this summer, leaving further arrivals dependent on player sales.
According to previous reports, Summerville is high on United’s shortlist, but the club are believed to be waiting for Marcus Rashford’s future to be resolved before launching an official bid.
That task has now become significantly more complicated.
Reliable journalist David Ornstein revealed on Thursday that Rashford’s £40 million release clause has expired. Any transfer away from Old Trafford will now have to be negotiated directly with interested clubs, making a quick sale far less straightforward.
Should Rashford remain at Manchester United, the club’s hopes of signing Summerville could suffer a major setback.
Meanwhile, Roma are quietly positioning themselves to capitalise on the situation.
The Serie A giants are currently the only club to have taken concrete steps in their pursuit of the Dutch winger. Reports suggest Roma are prepared to offer around £34 million for Summerville and have already held discussions with his representatives.
The Italian club are now awaiting West Ham’s response and could find themselves in pole position if Manchester United are unable to generate the funds needed for a deal.
As things stand, Summerville’s future appears to be a three-way battle involving Manchester United, Aston Villa and Roma. But unless United can resolve Rashford’s situation quickly, the race may soon swing decisively in Roma’s favour.
