Leeds United’s three high-profile transfers to the Premier League have yet to make an impression.
Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter all joined established top-flight clubs this summer, with Leeds raising more than £100 million for the trio.
Though it was frustrating to see them all go in the same window, it was not surprising given their seasons.
Summerville and Gray were named the Championship’s POTS and YPOTS, respectively, while Rutter was named with the former as TOTS.
However, in their first month of the season, they had only played 69 Premier League minutes for Tottenham, West Ham, and Brighton combined.
Merson expects former Leeds star Crysencio Summerville to struggle.
Of course, it is still early days for all three of them at their new clubs, and their lack of Premier League experience meant that it would take time for them to fit in.
Gray appears to be the most likely of the three to be a surefire success, whereas Rutter’s chances at Premier League level are uncertain following his previous troubles.
In contrast, Summerville is more difficult to forecast. During Leeds’ relegation season, he demonstrated glimpses of his potential at the highest level before storming the Championship.
However, whether he can deal with the toughness of the elite defenders has to be seen, and when both Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen are fit, it is unclear how he will start.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson feels he will struggle, stating in his most recent Sportskeeda piece that Premier League full-backs will be too much for him.
He wrote: “West Ham’s other new signing, Crysencio Summerville, may find it difficult to impress.” Every full-back in the Premier League is a full international, unlike the Championship, where he dominated.”
Leeds informed Manor Solomon is the perfect Summerville substitute.
Finally, it is not Leeds’ responsibility to worry about what Summerville is doing this season, given his departure is now firmly in the past.
There were concerns that Leeds would be unable to adequately replace the Dutchman, but EFL expert Sam Parkin feels they have discovered the ideal candidate in Manor Solomon.
He said: “I believe Clarkey mentioned Manor Solomon last week. If you had to replace Summerville with someone who already works in this nation, Solomon is way up there.
“He has the signature technique that they lost from Summerville: cutting in from the left side and bending it. He has a low centre of gravity and appears to be a very excellent player.
“I’ve covered him on the international level a few times, and he’s a really excellent player. That’s a fantastic acquisition for them, and compared to Hull’s triumph the other day, Leeds were far and away the superior team.”
