Leeds United still paying for Victor Orta sins as Crysencio Summerville transfer clause emerges
Crysencio Summerville’s transfer to West Ham coming via an exit clause shows how hard it is for Leeds United to remove the stain of Victor Orta’s tenure.
Confirming Summerville’s exit with a post on X (3 August), the Whites said that an exit clause in the Dutchman’s contract had been triggered by West Ham – a statement becoming all too familiar.
Last summer’s exodus of players with relegation loan clauses appeared to be the worst of the contract small-print greenlit by Orta, but losing their best player to another clause will be hard to stomach in LS11.
Daniel Farke even acknowledged this after the Whites’ pre-season win over Valencia, telling the Yorkshire Evening Post (3 August): “At the moment we still have to pay for a few sins in the past and make sure we’re in line with all the financial rules.
“This is also the reason why sometimes a club has to take a decision to sell a player.”
Only promotion will see Leeds United move on from Victor Orta era
One consolation can be taken from Summerville heading to West Ham following the triggering of his exit clause – at least the Whites are getting around £25million in cash for one of their prize assets this time [Dharmesh Sheth, 31 July].
Contract small-print is understandably not made public, but had Summerville’s included the one of the loan clauses which were exercised at will last summer, there’s no doubt he would’ve been long gone.
Of the eight players who exercised their clauses to leave temporarily last summer, only two have returned, with Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober given a mixed welcome back against Valencia [Graham Smyth, 3 August].
If other talismanic Whites players like Georginio Rutter and Wilfried Gnonto have similar clauses in their deals to be acted on at the drop of a hat, Farke’s side could be hamstrung for a second summer running.
Farke will be dead-set on keeping the his top players after being powerless to prevent Summerville’s transfer, and the only way to do that – and put these second-tier clauses to bed – is to be promoted.
Being back in the Premier League would give Leeds the reset they desperately need when it comes to Orta’s mismanagement of the squad, and the opportunity to rekindle the magic brought by the best times of Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure.
In other Leeds news, the Whites could face stiff competition to sign another highly-rated midfielder who has been tipped to “go far”.
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