West Ham launch bid for "special" 100k-p/w Summerville alternative

West Ham United‘s promising start to the transfer window has shifted to frustration, with several targets rejecting a move to the London Stadium despite promising discussions with the respective outfits.

Still, Max Kilman and Luis Guilherme have already signed and there is hope that two more transfer targets, Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran, will complete transfers before the transfer deadline in just over one month.

Crysencio Summerville, who was the Championship MVP last season, has been of interest to the Irons but Leeds United’s £35m asking price is far too steep. Thus, a shrewd alternative is being worked on.

West Ham transfer news

As per the Sunday Mirror [pg. 68], West Ham have made a £15m bid to sign Reiss Nelson from Arsenal, with the versatile winger expected to leave the Emirates Stadium this summer.

This comes amid Leicester City’s efforts to sign the 24-year-old, having previously opened talks with the Gunners. The Foxes, however, have not yet lodged a formal offer.

The attacking flanks represent an area of importance for Julen Lopetegui‘s side this summer, especially when considering the uncertainty around Lucas Paqueta’s footballing future. Nelson would combat this, adding a dimension and, crucially, depth to a team desperate to return to form following David Moyes’ departure from the dugout.

Why West Ham want Reiss Nelson

Questions would understandably be raised about Nelson’s lack of regular minutes over the past several seasons; for a player of his quality, it’s concerning that he has been consigned to a bit-part role since returning from a successful loan spell with Feyenoord in 2020/21.

Three of the past four terms have presented the Englishman with just five starts across all competitions, but flashes of quality in north London, under Mikel Arteta’s wing, have showcased the quality that could see him make a marked improvement on West Ham’s attack.

Fleet-footed and dynamic, Nelson has been described as a “special” player by the Arsenal manager, and he would certainly prove to offer the kind of skills to serve as an effective Summerville alternative.

His athletic properties are invariably evident on the field, but he’s also demonstrably a big-game player, popping up with some crucial performances for title-chasing Arsenal over the past few years.

Principally a right-sided winger, the £100k-per-week talent has featured on the alternate flank with regularity, and since he’s actually right-footed, he could operate in that inswinging striking role that Summerville performs with such panache at Elland Road.

With 20 goals and nine assists across 46 Championship outings last season, the rising Dutchman, aged 21, is undoubtedly a top talent, also ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in England’s second tier last year for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

He’s not the only exciting prospect capable of improving Lopetegui’s team, however, with Nelson actually averaging 1.4 and 1.5 dribbles per Premier League game for Arsenal over the past two campaigns, despite starting just three matches in his timeframe, as per WhoScored.

Nelson, to further strengthen the point, would likely see an increase in his goalscoring output is signed in Summerville’s stead, with a focus on performing on the left. Across his career, he has scored 13 times from 87 appearances on the right, at a rate of 0.15, compared to ten goals from 57 matches at left wing, at a rate of 0.18 per game.

It’s a marginal difference, sure, but it does speak of Nelson’s ability to impress across multiple roles, with the telling comment on his tactical flexibility something that could see him succeed under Lopetegui’s wing.

Since West Ham may well be able to sign the 5 foot 9 winger for around £15m – some £20m lower than what Leeds are asking for their prized forward – technical director Tim Steidten could score a bargain move here.

After all, Summerville might have found prolific success across the past 12 months but will that translate to life in the Premier League? Across the 2022/23 season, as Leeds suffered relegation, he clinched four goals and two assists across 28 matches, with five of those six goal contributions arriving in a potent six-game spell.

Given that Nelson has proven himself a valuable member of Arteta’s squad, so slick, so stylish in the pursuit of prominence and silverware, there’s little question that he has the skills to succeed in a cross-London switch eastward.

In March 2023, when his outfit desperately needed three points at home against Bournemouth in the Premier League to keep pace with Manchester City in the title race, Nelson was introduced with 21 minutes to play and popped up with a goal and an assist to turn the tide and send his anxious fanbase into rapture.

A tremendous cameo, Nelson placed three key passes, completed his one attempted dribble and completed all 15 of his passes, further backing up that previous point that he has what it takes to succeed on the major stage, in the biggest, most important situations.

All things considered, Arsenal need to get this deal done. Sure, Summerville is a player of giddying potential but West Ham still need to address multiple positions to get Lopetegui’s inherited outfit up to speed and push toward European qualification once again.

Nelson might feel like something of a risk, but his talent is patently there, and he could be a masterful and shrewd signing in hindsight, putting thoughts of Summerville plying his trade in Hammers claret firmly in distant memory and rising to the fore.

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