How Bayern Munich's £50m transfer decision could present Leeds United with ideal Crysencio Summerville outcome

The downside of Leeds United having a player like Crysencio Summerville is that they inevitably have to wave goodbye at some point. An instant return to the Premier League would have delayed the farewells but they would come at some point, just as they did with Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.

Summerville is not yet at the level of either but a season in which he registered 21 goals and 10 assists, winning the Championship’s Player of the Season award, suggests he could get there. Promotion would probably have kept him at Elland Road for another year or so but on his current trajectory, the step up would always come at some point.

Those in charge at Elland Road have to try and remove the emotion from any decision this summer and so with finances tight and wider reinforcements needed, the departure of Summerville is looking increasingly likely. The 22-year-old has long been on the radar of Liverpool and Chelsea but now has admirers across the Premier League - and indeed in some corners of Europe.

Recent reports have put Brighton in pole position to sign Summerville and it seems they are the only side to turn interest into an approach, but Leeds know a one-horse race is bad news for them, placing power in the hand of the buyer. Under the ownership of 49ers Enterprises, Leeds have benefitted from the domino effect of transfer business and will hope to do so again. It could hand the power back to them.

Almost 900 miles away from Elland Road, Bayern Munich look to be finalising a €60million (£50m) deal to sign Crystal Palace star Michael Olise after fending off competition from Chelsea. Olise’s departure from Selhurst Park is all but confirmed and so those in charge at Palace have time to source a replacement.

That search may well take them north to Leeds, with The Mirror reporting earlier this month that Palace ‘will move’ for Summerville if they lost one of Olise or Eberechi Eze. They, like Liverpool and Chelsea, hold a long-standing interest in the 22-year-old and can also boast a proven track record of turning Championship promise into Premier League quality - not only did they sign Olise from Reading, but Eze joined from QPR.

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And so Leeds could finally be in the position they hoped for, with multiple teams all vying for their man - and not just any two teams, but fierce rivals. The true test of their nerve will come as weeks progress.

Price-tags for Summerville have varied significantly but, depending on the circumstances, £30-35m is thought to be seen as a realistic target by those in charge at Elland Road. Naturally, early offers for Summerville will be at the lower end, if not below it, and it is then up to Leeds how long they can go without blinking.

Holding out presents the possibility of a bidding war, with the increased desperation to get a deal done and competition from elsewhere encouraging clubs to up the ante. Alternatively, one or both could go elsewhere and leave Leeds in the mud, needing to accept a cut-price deal to get money in the bank.

The YEP understands that Red Bull’s arrival as minority shareholders and front-of-shirt sponsors has put Leeds in a stronger position financially, and reports of the need to offload players quickly are wide of the mark. But at some point there will be a decision to make on Summerville.

An early cash-in allows Leeds to get money in the bank and move on, with the opportunity to take stock and better understand what kind of targets could be afforded this summer. But it also risks being short-changed. To hold out presents the chance to maximise profit on the £1.5m they spent on Summerville back in 2020, but the longer wait means less time to use that money and more chance of something going wrong. Leeds will hope a bidding war puts the cards in their hands, but they still have to play them right.