Crysencio Summerville is a huge talent who has been on the radar of Newcastle United in the last couple of months, hardly a surprise given his excellent form from last season.
The Dutch winger registered a total of 28 goals or assists, but it wasn’t enough to secure an immediate Premier League return for Leeds United as they suffered defeat in the play-off final.
As a result, it’s all but guaranteed that Summerville will depart Elland Road ahead of the upcoming campaign, with Newcastle battling the likes of West Ham United, Chelsea and Fulham for his signature.
Any deal would cost upwards of £30m, a fair price in today’s market, but a huge risk on a player who’s previously only scored four goals in England’s top flight.
He’s not the only forward on boss Eddie Howe’s radar, with the Magpies submitting a bid to sign a star who has enjoyed huge success during the off-season.
According to Spanish sources, Newcastle have submitted a €30m (£26m) bid to sign Barcelona forward Ferran Torres this summer.
The 24-year-old has scored seven goals in his 29 LaLiga appearances this season, with his goalscoring exploits potentially able to complete the Magpies’ frontline in 2024/25.
Barca desperately need to raise funds this summer to help combat their current financial issues, with Howe’s side needing to take advantage and sign the former Manchester City ace.
Torres was a part of the Spain squad that won Euro 2024 this summer, making five appearances, while scoring one goal in the 1-0 victory over Albania in the group stage.
The 24-year-old has previously starred at St James’ Park, scoring a hat-trick against the Magpies during City’s 4-3 on Tyneside back in 2021, with the Spaniard a much better addition than Summerville for Howe’s side this summer.
It may be a bold statement to say Torres is a better signing for Newcastle than Summerville, especially considering the fact the Leeds talent registered 19 more goals or assists last season, but the Spaniard’s stats in attacking areas could see him thrive in England once more.
When comparing the pair on FBref, it’s clear that Torres is a better option in the final third, being more clinical than the Dutchman, despite his significantly lower goal tally.
The “exceptional” Barca forward, as described by Pep Guardiola in the past, averaged a slightly higher goal per shot average last season, whilst registering more goals per 90 - having only featured for a combined 1211 minutes compared to Summerville, who managed a total of 3498.
He also produced a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate than the in-demand Leeds ace, allowing the Magpies to recruit a player who needs fewer chances to produce the goods in front of goal - a crucial feature if Howe’s side are to increase their goal tally in 2024/25.
How Torres & Summerville compare in 2023/24 | ||
---|---|---|
Statistics | Torres | Summerville |
Games | 29 | 43 |
Goals + assists | 9 | 28 |
Goals per 90 | 0.52 | 0.49 |
Shot on target rate | 40% | 37% |
Pass accuracy | 78% | 78% |
Goals per shot | 0.2 | 0.1 |
Stats via FBref |
Torres also is predominantly a right-sided attacker, whereas Summerville featured on the left in the vast majority of his appearances under Daniel Farke last season - a role he simply wouldn’t be able to dislodge Anthony Gordon from after his tally of 21 league goal contributions in 2023/24.
The Spaniard has been unfortunate in his move to the LaLiga giants, finding himself behind Lamine Yamal after the youngster’s impressive breakthrough season, with a move needed for him to regain his excellent form that saw the Catalan outfit fork out over £50m for his services.
His stats produced this season with limited minutes prove that he’s an excellent option in the final third, providing an added cutting edge in attacking areas for Howe’s side this season.
After the disappointment of missing out on European football last season, Torres' experience of featuring consistently in those competitions could give the Magpies the difference in front of goal that they’ve been hunting for the majority of the transfer window.
He's set for a summer transfer ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.