West Ham warned about replacing Crysencio Summerville with Stoke City star - 'it's not ambitious' | OneFootball

FLW's West Ham United fan pundit shares their thoughts on the club's links to Stoke City winger Sorba Thomas

West Ham United, following relegation, are bracing themselves for offers for more of their superstars this summer, as Nuno Espirito Santo plans the Hammers' escape route back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

It's been a relatively quiet summer at West Ham so far, who, aside from Keiber Lamadrid's loan move becoming permanent, have yet to see any incomings through the doors at the London Stadium.

The likes of Lukasz Fabianski, Adama Traore, and Callum Wilson have left the club following the end of their contracts, whilst Axel Disasi's return to Chelsea from his loan leaves a big gap in defence for Nuno to sort.

Mateus Fernandes' £85 million move to Tottenham Hotspur will certainly help to mitigate the losses of Premier League revenue, but they could yet be in for another cash windfall, with Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville heavily linked with a move away.

Manchester United have been touted to make a move in excess of £50 million for the former Leeds United star, who looks increasingly likely to be on his way out of East London this summer, as the Hammers have been linked with a move for a player who managed 21 goal contributions in the Championship just last season as his replacement.

West Ham United have been linked with a move for Stoke City's Sorba Thomas this summer as a potential Crysencio Summerville replacement

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As Summerville edges ever closer to the exit door, Nuno will be preparing a list of potential replacements.

Sunderland's Simon Adingra has been linked with a drop to the Championship, but according to the West Ham Way Patreon, Stoke City starlet Sorba Thomas has now emerged as an option for the club this summer.

Thomas, 27, joined Stoke for less than £2 million just last summer, and grabbed ten goals and 11 assists in 45 Championship games last season, excelling in a poor Potters attack.

A former West Ham academy player before plying his trade with Boreham Wood, the Welsh international could be making a return to the capital sooner rather than later, as Football League World's West Ham fan pundit, Ryan Horn, has shared their thoughts on the club's links to Thomas, and whether he would be a good replacement for Summerville on the left flank at the London Stadium.

Ryan said: "Yeah, I've seen a few bits on him. Obviously, with the rumour mill and all that stuff, it's not the ambitious sort of signing I thought we would go for.

"I've seen us linked with Adingra from Sunderland, and just to name him for one, that's ambitious. On loan at Monaco last season, looking to be out on loan or permanently transferred again, according to rumours. I wasn't expecting a Stoke City winger.

"I know we're in the Championship, we need to kind of admit the position that we're in now. But now that I know from today we've got our new transfer director, who we got from FC Copenhagen, so I would imagine that would change.

"Could he fill Summerville's boots? I mean, to be honest, Summerville had a very good purple patch, but he was injured for the majority of the time at West Ham. And the time that he did play before his purple patch, it took him a while to get into the game. The fact that we could possibly get £50 million-plus out of a purple patch is amazing.

"Don't get me wrong, he's had a really decent World Cup as well, and I think he has the ceiling to be a top talent. But I don't see it as an impossible task to fill his boots, if that makes sense. If we were talking about filling Bowen's boots, God, that's something. Like Payet's boots, I didn't even think we'd done that really well. I mean, Pablo Fornals was a workhorse; that was the difference.

"I think he would be a good squad player with Championship experience. But I don't want him to be a like-for-like replacement for Summerville. I don't think that's good enough to be fighting for Premier League promotion."

Nuno Espirito Santo must consider all of his options before swooping for Stoke City's Sorba Thomas this summer

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It goes without saying that this summer is a huge one for West Ham, not just in the short-term, but in the long-term too.

A strong window could very well be the catalyst for their immediate return to the Premier League, which will without a doubt be their primary aim. Failure to conjure a strong window could mean the Hammers miss out on a place back in the top flight next year, which would be catastrophic for a club of their stature.

Nuno must consider all of his options before making a move for Thomas, as although the Welsh international enjoyed a wonderful campaign last time around, there are serious questions about whether he can replicate those numbers again.

By all accounts, the 27-year-old would be an excellent fit at his former academy side, and should be at least considered, though whether a formal offer arrives in the Potteries from the capital remains to be seen.