Tottenham Already Beat Man United for One Target. Now They’re Chasing Another.

Manchester United’s summer just got a little more complicated. According to multiple reports, the club is worried that Tottenham might pull another fast one on them — this time for Crysencio Summerville.

It’s not hard to see why United are nervous. Spurs already hijacked their deal for Mateus Fernandes earlier this window, even though the player had reportedly agreed to join United. Now Tottenham has entered the race for Summerville, the West Ham winger who’s become United’s top target on the left flank.

Summerville is coming off a solid season for a West Ham team that got relegated on the final day. He put up seven goals and five assists across all competitions. That carried over to the World Cup, where he scored twice and added two assists for the Netherlands before they got bounced by Morocco.

The 24-year-old can play both wings, which is exactly the kind of flexibility United’s front office is after. With Benjamin Sesko playing as the 6-foot-5 focal point, guys like Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha can slide around. Summerville would mirror Amad on the right, and that versatility — cutting in from either side, comfortable on his weaker foot — makes him tough to defend.

The Rashford problem

Here’s where it gets messy. United ideally want to fund the Summerville deal by selling Marcus Rashford. But Barcelona decided not to trigger the £26 million buy option on the England international, so he’s heading back to Old Trafford. And he’s still at the World Cup with England, who have a quarterfinal against Norway this weekend. Sky Sports says that could push Rashford’s return to Manchester well into August, which means United might not have the cash ready when they need it.

West Ham is asking for £50 million for Summerville, who won Championship Player of the Year during his time at Leeds. United have held what Sky calls initial exploratory talks with the Hammers. But with Chelsea, Liverpool and PSG also sniffing around, the clock is ticking.

Tottenham’s new aggression

The biggest threat though is Tottenham. Under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs have been aggressive in the market. They shocked United by swooping in for Fernandes, and the feeling around Old Trafford is that the same thing could happen with Summerville. United’s chiefs are said to be very aware that they could lose out to Spurs on another priority target if they don’t move quickly.

That aggressive approach from Tottenham has caught a lot of teams off guard. Given that Spurs nearly got relegated themselves last season, the willingness to spend big makes sense. But for United, who’ve already missed on Elliot Anderson, Aurelien Tchouameni and Fernandes this window, losing Summerville too would sting.

Whether United can get a deal done before Tottenham makes its push — or before Rashford’s situation gets sorted — is the question. For now, the ball is sitting in a few different courts, and none of them look particularly friendly to Manchester.