Arne Slot ‘wild’ about 22-year-old Dutch attacker ahead of taking Liverpool job: Reports
Arne Slot is reportedly 'wild' about bringing Leeds United attacker Crysencio Summerville to Anfield should he take over at Liverpool. The Feyenoord manager has been heavily linked with a switch to the Merseyside club as Jurgen Klopp's replacement.
Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Liverpool have an agreement in place with Feyenoord to bring the 45-year-old into the dugout in the summer. As claimed by Dutch outlet 1908.nl, Slot has identified compatriot Summerville from Leeds United as a target for the summer.
Summerville has enjoyed a phenomenal season with Leeds United in the Championship this time. The 22-year-old has produced 20 goals and 10 assists in 45 games across all competitions, making him one of the standout players in the second tier of English football.
The fleet-footed winger, who can play either on the right or left, has been widely linked with an exit from Elland Road in recent months. Liverpool are now in the mix to land the Dutchman with Arne Slot set to take the reign from Jurgen Klopp.
Summerville came through the youth ranks of Slot's current side Feyenoord and moved to Leeds in 2020. He has developed quite well at the Yorkshire-based club since then but this has been his most productive season by some distance.
Liverpool have been known for their free-flowing attacking football under Jurgen Klopp and have hardly struggled for goals over the years. However, their recent dip in form has been really concerning with their high-profile attackers misfiring up front.
Mohamed Salah's contract will expire in the summer of 2025 and his future is pretty much up in the air amid interest from Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz have all been inconsistent and Diogo Jota has struggled to remain fit.
Therefore, it could be necessary for the Reds to bolster their frontline in the summer and Summerville could be a solid addition. At just 22 years of age, he has plenty of room for development and could become a solid signing in the long run.
Gary Lineker urges Liverpool to keep star forward despite his struggles of late
Former England striker Gary Lineker has urged Liverpool not to sell Mohamed Salah in the summer. The former Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur attacker has defended the Egypt international amid his poor run of form of late.
Salah has been subject to criticism of late for a dip in his form lately but Lineker has claimed that the Reds attacker is just going through a rough patch. The football pundit said on The Two Robbies podcast:
"I suspect there’s nothing wrong in the mind of Mo Salah, he’s just having one of those little spells that all strikers have. He’s been prolific, he’s been prolific again this season. He’s just having a bad patch at the wrong time."
Lineker added:
"He’s come back from a couple of injuries and that can make a difference. I omit him from any real criticism, but he has been cold in the past few weeks, but that happens to all strikers."
Salah has been exceptional for Liverpool over the years since his £34.3 million switch from Roma in 2017. The Egyptian has been one of the best players in world football during his time at Anfield having scored 210 goals and provided 88 assists in 345 appearances to date.