Crysencio Summerville’s move to Al-Hilal this summer doesn’t mean he’s finished in Europe yet. In fact, he still has dreams in Europe.
And his latest comments should have the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United paying very close attention.
Summerville left England this summer in a €64.5m deal taking him from West Ham to Al-Hilal. The move raised eyebrows at the time – mid-July – as the 24-year-old still had plenty of suitors in Europe at that point.
Two of those were in the Premier League, in the form of Liverpool and Manchester United. Sport Witness reported on that interest this week.
Liverpool and Manchester United
That came from ESPN and his personal trainer Ivandro Monteiro. He was part of a group of people talking about the former West Ham United winger and his busy summer.
Monteiro – who ESPN labelled as a ‘second father’ to the player – revealed how the Premier League duo had been keen.
“He called me at one point and said: ‘You’re not going to believe this’,” he said.
“He told me that a lot of clubs were interested. Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Roma, Liverpool, Manchester United… all clubs that had spoken to him. I told him: ‘Just wait a bit. See what happens. You never know’.”
He then urged the Dutchman to jump at the chance to join Al-Hilal, particularly given the money on offer.
“He said: ‘Listen to this, this is crazy.’ Then he told me about Al-Hilal and what they would be willing to pay for him. And he would earn a lot more there too,” Monteiro explained.
“I said immediately: ‘Boy, pack your bags and go. Don’t think about it’. You are still young and you can always go back. The league is tough and people underestimate the level there. But for him, it was a new challenge and a chance to develop further.”
Europe dream
Well, that idea of going back has now been put to Summerville. He’s currently on international duty with the Netherlands.
The subject of his move to Saudi Arabia was put to him, and he was keen to defend the move from any criticism.
“The conversation with Al Hilal appealed to me,” he insisted.
“Yes, of course you talk about the contract. It was the complete package for me. The plan – I call it God’s plan, naturally – and the financial aspect simply made sense.”
He then referenced his personal trainer. And revealed that the plan – as Monteiro hinted – is to get back to Europe at some point.
“He sees my work every day. We have a plan together, and that plan is for me to become one of the best in Europe one day,” he added.
If and when that return happens, remains to be seen. But these comments should be of interest to Liverpool, Manchester United and other European suitors. It seems Summerville hasn’t turned his back on Europe or his dream yet.
