Crysencio Summerville’s transfer to West Ham via an escape clause demonstrates how difficult it is for Leeds United to shake the stench of Victor Orta’s tenure.
The Whites confirmed Summerville’s departure with a post on X (3 August), claiming that West Ham had triggered an exit option in the Dutchman’s contract, a remark that has become all too common.
Last summer’s exodus of players with relegation loan clauses appeared to be the worst of the contract tiny print approved by Orta, but losing their greatest player to another clause will be difficult to stomach in LS11.
Daniel Farke even admitted this after the Whites’ pre-season triumph over Valencia, telling the Yorkshire Evening Post (3 August): “At the moment, we still have to pay for a few sins from the past and ensure we’re in accordance with all the financial requirements.
“This is also the reason why sometimes a club has to take a decision to sell a player.”
Only promotion will allow Leeds United to move on from the Victor Orta era.
Summerville’s move to West Ham following the triggering of his departure option provides some consolation: the Whites will receive about £25 million in cash for one of their key assets this time [Dharmesh Sheth, 31 July].
Contract fine wording is sensibly not made public, but if Summerville’s had one of the loan clauses that were invoked at will last summer, there’s no question he’d be long gone.
Only two of the eight players who used their release clauses to depart temporarily last summer have returned, with Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober receiving a mixed welcome versus Valencia [Graham Smyth, 3 August].
If additional talismanic Whites players, such as Georginio Rutter and Wilfried Gnonto, have similar provisions in their contracts that may be triggered at any time, Farke’s team could be crippled for the second consecutive summer.
Farke will be determined to maintain his top players after failing to stop Summerville’s transfer, and the only way to do so – and put these second-tier stipulations to rest – is to be promoted.
Being back in the Premier League would provide Leeds with the much-needed reset after Orta’s mismanagement of the club, as well as the opportunity to reignite the magic that existed throughout Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure.
