Somerville transfer twist: Al Hilal move to hijack Roma bid for Dutch World Cup star

Al Hilal have made a dramatic late move to sign Netherlands winger Crysencio Summerville, attempting to derail Roma’s pursuit of one of the breakout names from the 2026 World Cup.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano says the Saudi Pro League giants have submitted an offer to West Ham United for the 24-year-old, who shone in the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Roma are believed to have already tabled three separate bids for Summerville, but Romano reports that Al Hilal have stepped in “in the final moments” in an effort to beat the Serie A club to his signature.

West Ham are expected to make a decision on the player’s future within hours, with the choice understood to be between a move to Riyadh or to the Italian capital.

Al Hilal’s late intervention

According to Romano, posting on his personal account on X, Al Hilal have formally entered the race for Summerville and are pushing hard to conclude a deal in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Roma had been seen as front-runners after lodging multiple offers, but the late intervention from the Saudi club has turned the transfer into a two-way battle.

Al Hilal, one of the most ambitious and well‐resourced clubs in the Saudi Pro League, have been targeting high-profile European talent in recent windows as part of a broader drive to raise the league’s global profile.

The move for Summerville underlines the club’s intent to add younger, peak‐age attacking players to complement their established stars.

World Cup breakthrough

Summerville’s name rose to prominence at the 2026 World Cup, despite not starting every match for the Netherlands.

Operating mainly from the flanks, he scored two goals and provided two assists during the tournament, marking him out as one of the more effective impact players in Ronald Koeman’s squad.

His performances on the global stage have accelerated interest from major European clubs, and now from the Gulf, with his combination of pace, direct running and end product seen as ideal for modern attacking systems.

Consistent impact at West Ham

Away from international duty, Summerville delivered a strong campaign for West Ham last season.

He featured in 34 matches in all competitions, scoring seven goals and setting up five more, establishing himself as a reliable attacking outlet for the London club.

Primarily deployed on the left wing, Summerville is also comfortable on the right and has been used, though less frequently, as a central striker and as a number 10. That positional flexibility is understood to be a key part of his appeal to both Roma and Al Hilal.

Decision looming

West Ham now face a pivotal choice over whether to sell one of their key attacking assets, and if so, where he will go.

With Roma pressing to bring him to Serie A and Al Hilal launching an aggressive late bid, the coming hours are likely to determine whether Summerville continues his career in Europe’s top leagues or joins the growing contingent of high-profile players heading to Saudi Arabia.