Watford FC have given Leeds United a transfer blueprint after new Crysencio Summerville updates: View | OneFootball

Watford secured a £30m fee from Brighton for Joao Pedro last summer and Leeds must aim for a similar figure

Leeds United should take a leaf out of Watford's book if they are to part ways with Crysencio Summerville this summer, amid growing interest from Premier League clubs.

The Dutchman's future looks set to monopolise the Whites' transfer window and could yet define their hopes of promotion next season, as Daniel Farke looks to steer his team out of the Championship at the second time of asking after losing to Southampton in the play-off final last month.

Summerville is a man in demand after a stellar campaign, in which he scored 19 goals and set up a further seven in 43 league appearances and scooped up the Championship Player of the Year award.

Watford FC have showed what fee Leeds United need to receive with Joao Pedro deal

On Monday, Fabrizio Romano reported Brighton had joined Liverpool and Chelsea in the race for the 22-year-old and have made initial contact with Leeds over a potential deal for the winger, which is not expected to be straightforward.

Recently, German outlet Sportbild reported Bayer Leverkusen were exploring the possibility of signing Summerville for a cut-price fee of approximately €20m (£17m), as Xabi Alonso looks to strengthen his team after leading them to a historic domestic double last term.

All three Premier League clubs have recently appointed new managers, with new Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler - at 31 years of age the youngest full-time boss in the division's history - joining fellow newcomers Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca at Liverpool and Chelsea respectively.

The Seagulls have been one of the best examples of how to do business in the transfer window over recent seasons, and the addition of Summerville would further emphasise their ability to sign good players, even though he isn't as much of a hidden gem as they tend to go for.

Unlike their Premier League rivals, Brighton have developed a reputation for spending shrewdly but are not shy when it comes to splashing big fees on EFL stars, as they showed last summer when they signed Joao Pedro for £30m from Watford, making him the club's record signing.

The investment immediately paid dividends as the Brazilian scored 20 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions and Brighton will hope for a similar impact from Summerville, should they manage to lure him to the south coast.

Leeds, for their part, should also aim for a similar return. Summerville's figures last season are better than Joao Pedro's return in his final season at Vicarage Road, when he scored 11 goals and set up a further four in 35 Championship appearances.

In that context, the £35m to £40m fee Romano has indicated Summervile could command seems a logical starting point for negotiations for Leeds, who face a critical summer.

Leeds United's need to sell players this summer means Summerville exit is inevitable

Leeds have turned a sizeable profit on some of their star players over the past 12 months, selling Tyler Adams to Bournemouth for a fee in the region of £20m last summer, and they may have to do so again this summer to comply with the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Speaking after the defeat in the play-off final to Southampton, Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe warned the club "need to make trade-offs" to avoid breaching financial regulations.

The Daily Mail, meanwhile, reported that failure to secure promotion to the Premier League meant the Whites could have to raise approximately £100m through player sales this summer.

Summerville will not be short of suitors this summer, but if Leeds sell him, they must ensure they can maximise the return on a player they signed from Feyenoord for just £1.3m back in 2020.

And with the aforementioned Pedro leaving Watford for £30 million last summer, Leeds now know what they need to be targeting in terms of a fee from Premier League clubs - and perhaps outfits abroad too - for the services of Summerville, whose exit from Elland Road is surely inevitable.