Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign as they came down to the second tier alongside Leicester City and Southampton.
Sam Allardyce was not kept on for the Championship season and the Whites opted to bring in German head coach Daniel Farke to bolster their efforts to bounce back at the first attempt.
The former Norwich City head coach was backed over the summer transfer window as nine new recruits were brought in, either on loan or on a permanent basis.
Joel Piroe, Joe Rodon, Glen Kamara, Karl Darlow, Djed Spence, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, Sam Byram, and Jaidon Anthony were all snapped up by the Yorkshire-based outfit.
These signings have played their part in Leeds being third in the table, with only three defeats on the board, after 14 Championship matches.
However, the drop down to the second tier has also provided an opportunity to players who were already at Elland Road to finally hit their stride in a Whites shirt outside of the pressures of Premier League football and battling against relegation.
One player who has thrived at this level so far this season is talented forward Crysencio Summerville, who has caught the eye at Championship level after an underwhelming top-flight campaign.
Summerville’s Premier League season in numbers
The Dutch attacker featured in 28 Premier League games for Leeds throughout the 2022/23 campaign, under Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Allardyce combined.
12 of those appearances came as a starter but he was not able to contribute at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis, with a return of four goals and two assists in total.
His 0.6 key passes per game ranked him ninth within the Leeds squad last season – below the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Adam Forshaw, and Weston McKennie.
However, there were some promising signs from the 5 foot 9 whiz as he ranked within the top 34% of Premier League wingers during the 2022/23 campaign for non-penalty goals (0.25) per 90, which shows that he was scoring at a respectable rate from a wide position.
His performances were not convincing enough, though, to warrant a regular place in the starting XI and, as such, there was not strong enough interest to tempt him or Leeds into a transfer back to the top-flight over the summer.
Instead, he watched on as senior forwards Jack Harrison and Rodrigo moved on, with the former going to Everton on loan, and their respective exits opened the door for him to step into the limelight as a star player for the club.
Why Summerville is like Kaoru Mitoma
Such has been the impressive nature of his performances at Championship level this season, Voetbal International journalist Suleyman Özturk compared him to Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma.
The reporter claimed that Summerville reminds him of the Japan international as they are both “complete” left-wingers, and went as far to say that the Dutch gem may be the best player in the second tier at this moment in time.
Özturk also stated that the league is like a “playground” for the Leeds sensation, who has been able to enjoy himself on the pitch throughout the season so far.
The comparison to Mitoma is an interesting one as, like Summerville, he is a right-footed left winger who has the quality to score and create goals whilst also being an exciting dribbler who can commit defenders and get supporters up off their seats.
In the Premier League, the 26-year-old maestro has produced three goals and three assists in nine starts for the Seagulls during the 2023/24 campaign.
This comes after the Japanese whiz managed seven goals and five assists in 24 top-flight starts during his debut season in English football last term.
Mitoma also ranks within the top 4% of wingers across the Men’s Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for progressive carries (5.79) per 90. This shows that he is one of the top forwards in Europe at progressing the ball up the pitch with his dribbling ability.
The statistics that show why Summerville is like Mitoma
The statistics also show that Summerville is like Farke’s own version of the Brighton star at Championship level as he has been in phenomenal form this term.
In 11 league appearances, the 22-year-old phenomenon has contributed with an outstanding six goals and four assists – starting nine of those matches.
He is currently the club’s top scorer with those six strikes, with Piroe behind him on five, and only Georgino Rutter (five) has registered more league assists than him.
In fact, the Dutch whiz ranks within the top 3% of wingers in the league for non-penalty goals (0.67) per 90 and the top 1% for shot-creating actions (7.49) per 90.
This shows that the Whites magician has been one of the best forwards within the division in terms of the quality end product that he can produce with regularity to score goals and create chances for his team.
Like Mitoma, Summerville is an exceptional ball carrier who can progress his team up the pitch. This season, the right-footed ace ranks within the top 5% of his Championship positional peers for progressive carries (5.92) per 90.
Statistic | Summerville vs Huddersfield (28/10/2023) |
|---|---|
Sofascore rating | 10 |
Goals | Two |
Assists | Two |
Chances created | Three |
Dribbles completed | Two |
Summerville’s most recent Leeds performance (via Sofascore) | |
His display against Huddersfield, as shown in the table above, was the perfect demonstration of the full force of his immense power at this level.
Summerville has the quality to tear teams to shreds with his quick feet, exceptional passing, and impressive finishing, and the Terriers fell to his sword last weekend.
The young wizard is thriving at Championship level and has become one of the shining lights of this Leeds team as they look to win promotion back to the Premier League.
His next step is to remain consistent throughout the remainder of the campaign and then the goal should be for him to follow in Mitoma’s footsteps to become an excellent top-flight winger who can contribute with goals and assists on a regular basis at that level.
