- 2 hours ago
Chelsea looking to Leeds for Sterling replacement this summer
Chelsea hold an interest in signing Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville and could well make a bid this summer, according to reports.
Summerville, 22, has been in great form for the Elland Road outfit this season, scoring 16 times in 32 matches in all competitions, as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League following relegation to the Championship.
The Dutchman signed for Leeds back in 2020 for a bargain fee of £1.6 million, biding his time before getting significant opportunities in the first team under Jesse Marsch.
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He has become one of the team’s key men in the Championship under Daniel Farke with Leeds recently embarking on a run of 10 straight victories in the second tier.
And now Chelsea are ready to pounce, according to TEAMtalk.
Chelsea interested in adding Summerville
Summerville is under contract until 2026, meaning Chelsea would not be getting him cheap.
Leeds could seek around £30 million to £40 million for the Netherlands under-21 international, who is understood to be on the brink of a first senior call up for the Oranje, and whose £20m release clause is no longer active.
Should the Whites fail to go up, they will find it difficult to reject a bid for one of their emerging talents.
Summerville came on as a substitute last week as Leeds were eliminated from the FA Cup by the Blues in an entertaining game at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are expected to do business in the summer, although they must sell a significant amount of talent before the end of June in order to comply with FFP regulations.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino has plenty of attackers at his disposal, with the Todd Boehly-led outfit having signed the likes of Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke since the 2022 takeover.
However, the Blues have flattered to deceive and currently sit down in 11th place in the Premier League table with significant doubts around manager Pochettino’s position.
Chelsea flattering to deceive since Boehly-led takeover
There is no certainty over the future of Sterling either while it was reported that Mudryk held out hope of signing for Arsenal right up to the last minute before his transfer to Stamford Bridge was confirmed.
Sterling is reportedly up for sale having failed to convince Boehly since his £47.5 million signing in 2022.
Boehly has burned through more than £1 billion since his BlueCo investment vehicle took over from Roman Abramovich but the Blues are stuck with underperforming players on massive contracts.
The club will seek to cut their losses on not only Sterling but also Marc Cucurella among others this summer.