Fabrizio Romano has confirmed who has won the race for West Ham star Crysencio Summerville, following a ‘crazy’ battle between Roma and Al-Hilal.
Roma looked to have built real momentum after submitting a series of improved offers and holding positive discussions with both West Ham and the player.
Romano, Gianluca Di Marzio and Matteo Moretto all reported that the Serie A club were pushing hard to complete what would have been one of the biggest deals in their recent history.
Gian Piero Gasperini was understood to be a driving force behind the move, believing Summerville possessed the pace and directness to thrive in his attacking system.
Al-Hilal, however, changed the picture dramatically.
The Saudi Pro League side entered negotiations late but quickly demonstrated their financial power by offering significantly improved terms to both West Ham and Summerville.
Roma refused to become involved in a bidding war, remaining committed to their valuation despite having already invested considerable effort into the negotiations.
Reports throughout the week suggested the decision would ultimately rest with Summerville himself after both clubs had presented their proposals.
For West Ham, it represented an ideal situation.
Interest from multiple clubs strengthened their negotiating position and allowed the Hammers to maximise the value of one of their most valuable attackers after his very impressive campaign.
According to Romano, that transfer battle has now reached its conclusion.
Al-Hilal win race for Crysencio Summerville with West Ham deal fully agreed
Romano reports that Summerville has given Al-Hilal the green light after a frantic final 48 hours in which Roma continued fighting to secure his signature until the very end.
West Ham are set to receive a guaranteed £55 million, with a further £10 million available through performance-related add-ons once the transfer is complete.
A medical has now been authorised following a verbal agreement between all parties, and it is another significant piece of business for West Ham after selling Mateus Fernandes for £85m.
The fee represents an excellent return and provides the club with substantial funds to reinvest as they continue rebuilding their squad ahead of the new season.
Few clubs would ignore an offer of this size, particularly when it arrives for a player attracting widespread interest across Europe.
From a football perspective, though, replacing Summerville will not be easy.
His ability to eliminate defenders, create chances and inject pace into attacks made him one of West Ham’s most dangerous players last term, and those qualities are difficult to replace, regardless of the transfer budget available.
Overall, this feels like one of those deals that can suit everyone involved.
West Ham secure an outstanding financial package, Al-Hilal land an exciting wide man and Summerville receives a lucrative new challenge.
The difficult part now falls to West Ham’s recruitment team, who must ensure the sizeable transfer windfall is invested wisely to soften the loss of such an influential forward.
