After losing Crysencio Summerville just a week before the Championship campaign gets underway, Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing another Dutch winger.
Leeds transfer news
Summerville’s exit couldn’t have been poorer timed with Leeds’ opening day clash against Portsmouth just a week away. Having suffered playoff heartbreak last time out, the Whites will be desperate to secure a return to the Premier League this season, but will have to do so without both Archie Gray and their aforementioned talisman.
Left with the undoubtedly difficult task of replacing Summerville within the next few weeks before the summer transfer window slams shut, those at Elland Road will be scrambling for options and have reportedly turned their attention towards the Eredivisie in an attempt to solve their problem.
According to Sander Janssen of Voetbal International, Leeds are now interested in signing Sontje Hansen from NEC Nijmegen this summer, but face competition from League One side Birmingham City. A former Ajax winger, Jannsen could yet emerge to step into the void left behind by his fellow Dutchman this summer.
“Special” Hansen could replace Summerville
Swapping one Dutch star for another could certainly be a place to start for those in Yorkshire and a deeper dive into Hansen indicates that he could quickly prove to be quite the coup for Leeds, should they make their move this month. The right-winger left Ajax last summer but has since shown glimpses of his best at Nijmegen, scoring six goals and assisting a further four in the Eredivisie last season.
The potential for more is certainly there too, given the previous praise of former Netherlands U17 coach Peter van der Veen, who said via The Athletic: “You can see with your own eyes that he is special. He can play as a striker, on either wing, and as a No 10. He’s just on fire at the moment, and hopefully he will keep it up. It’s still a long road ahead but he has all the talent to become a really top player.”
That ability to also play through the middle mirrors that of Summerville, who proved to be quite the talisman for Daniel Farke throughout the last campaign. Of course, Hansen is yet to be a player at the new West Ham man’s level, but an opportunity in the Championship has all the potential to turn him into a piece of transfer genius at Elland Road.
| League stats 23/24 (via FBref) | Crysencio Summerville | Sontje Hansen |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 19 | 6 |
| Assists | 9 | 4 |
| Expected Goals | 16.4 | 3.7 |
| Successful Take-ons | 98 | 43 |
Hansen, 22, may not have managed the same numbers as Summerville, but the fact he outperformed his expected goals by a similar figure is a positive sign that Leeds are certainly looking in the right direction this summer.
