Summerville to wear unconventional No 38 after sealing Al Hilal move amid exit rumours for Malcolm and Nunez

Crysencio Summerville will start his Al Hilal career in the unusual No 38 shirt after the Saudi Pro League club confirmed his arrival on a four-year contract from West Ham United.

Al Hilal announced on Friday that the Dutch winger has officially joined the club on a deal running until 2030, bringing an end to his spell in the Premier League.

According to Al Hilal’s official online store, Summerville has been allocated the No 38 shirt for the coming season – a number he has not worn for almost four years and one that is rarely given to major first‐team signings in Saudi Arabia.

At most Saudi clubs, squad numbers above 30 are typically reserved for players promoted from youth and age‐group teams into the senior side. That convention makes the choice of 38 for a high‐profile signing like Summerville particularly striking.

Rare return to a former number

The only previous occasion on which Summerville has worn the No 38 came during his time at Leeds United. He first used it at the end of the 2020-2021 season while playing for Leeds’ Under-23 side, and he kept the same number in the following campaign after stepping up to the first team.

Ahead of the 2022-2023 season, Summerville was rewarded with the prestigious No 10 shirt at Leeds United, underlining his growing status at Elland Road.

When he later moved to West Ham United, the 24-year-old switched again, this time to the No 7 shirt, which he wore over the past two seasons in east London.

Blocked from favoured numbers

Summerville’s established first-team numbers at previous clubs – 10 and 7 – are currently occupied at Al Hilal.

Brazilian winger Malcom holds the No 10 shirt, while Uruguay forward Darwin Nunez wears No 7. Their presence has prevented Summerville from reclaiming either number on his arrival in Riyadh.

Given his age and reputation, it is widely expected that Summerville would prefer to return to one of those more traditional attacking numbers if and when they become available.

Possible future change if exits confirmed

Summerville could yet be reunited with either the No 10 or No 7 shirt at Al Hilal, with both numbers potentially opening up if there are departures in the attacking department.

It is anticipated that he will switch to one of those numbers should Malcom or Darwin Nunez – or both – leave the club, particularly in light of reports suggesting Al Hilal are open to offloading the pair.

For now, however, Summerville will line up in the atypical No 38 shirt as he begins the next chapter of his career in the Saudi Pro League.