Liverpool could repeat Jota move by signing £30m “monster”

Liverpool are set for a big summer transfer window following the departure of Jurgen Klopp this season. He will be replaced by Dutchman Arne Slot, who will leave Feyenoord in order to take the reins at Anfield.

Klopp’s farewell season did not quite go to plan in terms of silverware to give him a send-off. The German won just one trophy during the 2023/24 season, the Carabao Cup, as they beat Chelsea at Wembley.

However, in the Premier League, the Reds finished just third in the table, falling out of the title race which included eventual champions Manchester City, and Arsenal. Liverpool finished on 82 points in the end, nine behind Pep Guardiola’s side.

In the other two cup competitions they were in, Liverpool disappointed. They lost 4-3 to Manchester United in one of the most incredible FA Cup ties of all time, and crashed out of the Europa League at the hands of Atalanta. Both of those sides went on to win those respective competitions.

Slot’s first transfer window in charge at Anfield presents him with the chance to build on Klopp’s final squad and rectify the wrongs of last season. Liverpool have already been linked with one transfer target ahead of the summer window.

Liverpool looking to sign Championship winger

The player in question here is Leeds United and Netherlands winger Crysencio Summerville. With Leeds failing to get promoted this season, losing the play-off final to Southampton, Summerville looks destined to depart Elland Road.

According to a report from David Anderson, The Mirror’s football correspondent, the Dutchman is “being targeted by a number of Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Chelsea”, before going on to explain that the forward is “unlikely” to spend another season in England’s second tier.

The Telegraph explains that Summerville is “expected to cost around £30 million in the current market”, which is a mammoth amount of profit given they signed him for a rumoured £1.3m in 2020.

What Summerville adds to Liverpool

This is certainly a signing that is reminiscent of the deal to bring Diogo Jota to Anfield in 2020 for £41m. Although they signed the Portuguese from then Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, he honed his craft in the Championship – scoring 17 in 44 – and became one of the deadliest attackers in the Premier League.

A deal to sign Summerville is certainly similar to that of Jota, given his very successful season in the Championship with Leeds in 2023/24.

Whilst their quest for promotion was unsuccessful, he still won Championship Player of the Season for his efforts in 2023/24.

Summerville scored 19 goals and registered nine assists in 43 appearances in the Championship, as well as one in the 4-0 playoff semi-final second-leg thrashing against Norwich City and in the FA Cup, taking his tally to 21.

The tricky winger’s combined 28 goals and assists in the Championship were only two players bettered this season. They were Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics, who registered 31 goal involvements, and Southampton forward Adam Armstrong, who had 34 goal involvements and scored the goal to promote Southampton and condemn Leeds to another season in the second tier of English football.

Summerville was described as a “1 v 1 monster” by football analyst Ben Mattinson over on X, who also explained that the Dutchman is “crazy agile”. Indeed, this is something that is reflected in his Fbref stats.

He is a wonderful ball carrier, averaging 5.04 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 6% of positional peers in leagues similar to the Championship. He also averaged 3.01 carries into the final third per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 14%, and 2.57 carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 4%. As the stats show, he is an elite dribbler.

Not only that, but the Anfield target is an excellent creator, which is reflected in more than just his nine assists for Leeds this season. The 22-year-old winger averages 2.88 key passes per 90 minutes, and 0.32 expected assists per 90 minutes, both of which place him in the top 6% of wingers.

There is no doubt that signing Summerville would add great depth to Liverpool’s wide options. It is certainly reminiscent of the signing of Jota, potentially bringing in a Championship-hardened winger to the club. For a reported fee of £30m, he could be an excellent first signing under Slot.