Why World Cup can land West Ham huge transfer windfall beyond Crysencio Summerville | OneFootball

West Ham could find themselves in receipt of a decent transfer fee for Edson Álvarez off the back of a strong World Cup campaign

The Netherlands were once again eliminated from the World Cup on penalties on Monday evening in Monterrey, after being pegged back late by Morocco and subsequently failing on spot kicks.

It's a big disappointment for the three-time finalists, but one man who can be proud of his performances in the USA, Canada and Mexico is Crysencio Summerville, who has more than taken his first opportunity in the national team fold.

The 24-year-old only received his first call-up by Ronald Koeman for the World Cup squad this summer, and registered two goals and two assists in the four games, providing the assist for Cody Gakpo's opener in the defeat against Morocco.

His penalty miss in the shootout proved costly, but more were praising Yassine Bounou's brilliance in goal than they believed that Summerville could do better.

If his last season at West Ham, despite their relegation, didn't showcase that the Premier League is his level, then his performances on the biggest stage most definitely have, and it won't be long before the Hammers are receiving bids, with Manchester United and Aston Villa among the early frontrunners.

The Athletic state that Summerville could be worth £50 million off the back of the tournament, which would be a hefty windfall, and one of the many large eight-figure fees that West Ham will be recouping this summer, you'd imagine.

Edson Alvarez may be worth a sizeable fee as he returns to West Ham this summer

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The likes of Summerville, Mateus Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen are the main stars in the West Ham fold who are touted for high-profile exits over the coming months, and that buzz has taken the spotlight away from the fact that the Hammers also have the Mexican captain amongst their ranks.

Perhaps that's also because he hasn't been part of the fold at the London Stadium for a year, though.

Indeed, Edson Alvarez left West Ham 12 months ago after falling out of favour under then-head coach Graham Potter. He joined Fenerbahçe on loan with an option to buy, speculated to be around £19 million.

With the 28-year-old heading towards the prime years of his career and being a brilliant midfield operator at Ajax and towards the start of his time at the London Stadium, it seemed a no-brainer at the time that the buy clause would be activated, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Alvarez has endured one of the most difficult campaigns of his career, with persistent ankle problems limiting him to just 12 league appearances in Turkey. He went under the knife with the injury in February to ensure he'd be back in time for the World Cup to captain Mexico in their home tournament.

So, with little game time, Fenerbahçe opted against buying Alvarez at the end of the season. He still has two years left on his West Ham deal, so the Hammers hold all the cards when it comes to a sale, but he'll likely be angling for some top-flight football next season, rather than the Championship.

West Ham will hope Edson Alvarez can continue his good World Cup to boost his value

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Alvarez's decision to undergo surgery on his ankle so he could be fit in time for the World Cup has been the right one for him personally.

After coming off the bench in Mexico's opener against South Africa, he played back-to-back 90 minutes to close out the group stage as Javier Aguirre's side maintained their 100% winning record. That was the first time he's played consecutive full matches since December.

He crossed 100 caps for his country against South Korea, but was left on the bench as Mexico beat Ecuador to reach the Round of 16. Now, he'll be hoping to return to the starting eleven to try and lead his country into the quarter-finals for the first time since the 1986 World Cup — coincidentally, also held in Mexico.

They'll have to go through England to get there, as the two countries meet at the Azteca on Sunday evening (Monday 1am BST), and while most West Ham fans will be cheering the Three Lions, there may be some quietly hoping that Alvarez can showcase some of the talent which made them spend up to £35.4 million three years ago to bring him to the Premier League, as that could boost his price tag ahead of a potential sale when he returns from international duty.

We've already seen the Hammers set a hefty price tag for Summerville off the back of a strong World Cup campaign, and the same could happen for Alvarez if he continues to excel at the heart of the Mexico midfield.