Man Utd make £69m Summerville upgrade a top target

There’s no denying that midfield is the priority at Manchester United this summer, but the INEOS regime will be fully aware that there plenty of other areas to address ahead of the return of Champions League football next season.

A new rival for Luke Shaw at left-back could well be needed, as too could be a genuine competitor to Benjamin Sesko through the middle, amid Joshua Zirkzee’s likely departure.

One further area in need of reinforcement is also on the left flank, with last summer having seen Alejandro Garnacho sold off to Chelsea, while Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were shipped out on loan.

Sancho, signed for £73m in 2021, is now heading for a free transfer exit, while Rashford’s future will again be a topic of conversation this summer, having seemingly missed out on a dream stay at Barcelona.

There might be some intrigued by the prospect of the 28-year-old returning to Old Trafford, although Michael Carrick and co need to look elsewhere to find a left-wing solution.

Man Utd make £69m Summerville alternative a top target

The surprise news broke on Monday that Man United may well be ready to strike a double deal with West Ham United for the signing of Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville, the latter man potentially up for grabs for a fee of around £50m.

Fabrizio Romano subsequently revealed that club-to-club talks have taken place regarding a possible deal for the Dutchman, albeit with Paris Saint-Germain also in the frame.

A more recent update from Sky Sports has noted that Summerville is one of United’s top targets for that left wing role, with journalist Mark McAdam suggesting that the 24-year-old could be “available”, following the Hammers recent relegation.

As that report also revealed, however, the former Leeds United star isn’t the only leading target currently under consideration, with Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye also a player whom the Old Trafford hierarchy are keeping “an eye on”.

Ndiaye, currently at the World Cup with Senegal, has been heavily linked with a move away from the Hill Dickinson this summer, albeit with the Toffees reportedly slapping a £69m price tag on his head.

Ndiaye would be a dream upgrade on Summerville for Man Utd

Summerville may not be the headline name at this summer’s World Cup, but he did capture the attention following his stunning effort as the Netherlands were held to a 2-2 draw with Japan over the weekend.

That long-range strike came after a season in which the fleet-footed speedster scored five times in a dismal Premier League campaign for the Hammers, with all of those efforts coming in early 2026.

The year prior, in his first season at the London Stadium, Summerville only scored once and registered just one assist, albeit while restricted to just seven starts following his arrival from Yorkshire.

He’s an explosive, potentially game-changing talent, although so too is Ndiaye, with the Senegalese sensation potentially set to represent an even bigger coup for the Red Devils.

His own World Cup journey hasn’t started quite as brightly, as the African side fell to a 3-1 defeat to France, although the 26-year-old’s impact was immediate off the bench, having teed up Ibrahim Mbaye’s thumping consolation.

It only took mere minutes for Ndiaye to show what he’s all about with that assist, illustrating why he is arguably “one of the best in the league in his position“, in the view of The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland.

Hailed too as being like a “mix of Amad and [Bryan] Mbeumo” by Louis Saha, the former Marseille forward is such a delightful player to watch, a master at weaving his way past defenders with ease.

He might not boast the blistering pace of Summerville, but he has that almost Eden Hazard-like low centre of gravity, boasting a stellar 2.3 successful dribbles per game in the Premier League last season, ahead of Summerville’s 1.7 average.

In all, Ndiaye ranked second in the division for total successful dribbles, behind only Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku.

There’s also an end product to match, with the Toffees talisman scoring six goals and registering three assists, after previously scoring nine times in 2024/25.

With 18 goal involvements across the last two seasons, Ndiaye is comfortably clear of Summerville, with the West Ham man only registering nine goal involvements in that time.

Ndiaye’s most memorable contribution perhaps came in the thumping win over Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea earlier this year, having rifled into the roof of the net in exquisite fashion.

At 26, there does feel a sense that he’s ready to make that next step, just like Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha before him, with it seemingly evident that he would be a sizeable upgrade on Summerville, for all the Dutchman’s potential.