West Ham have reignited their interest in Charlie Cresswell, who has been told he needs to complete a move to realise his England dream.
The Hammers are among the clubs keen on bringing the 23-year-old back to England, following his hugely impressive stint in France.
Charlie Cresswell is the son of former Leeds star Richard
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Charlie Cresswell is the son of former Leeds star RichardCredit: AFP
West Ham eye Cresswell transfer
The Leeds academy product, who was previously wanted by Liverpool and Manchester United, made the move to join Toulouse in July 2024.
The defender made the switch to Ligue 1 off the back of playing just 137 minutes across five appearances in the 2023/24 Championship.
Ex-Toulouse president Damien Comolli, who has worked at Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool, took the plunge after watching Cresswell on loan at Millwall in 2022/23, and has been paid back in kind.
Cresswell's 2,878 minutes across all competitions were the most at Toulouse last season, while only 6ft 5in striker Ludovic Ajorque bettered his 98 aerial duels in Ligue 1.
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He was an ever-present figure under Lee Carsley as England’s Under-21s successfully defended their Euro title this summer.
Cresswell scored in the Young Lions' opening match and then marshalled Newcastle's Nick Woltemade in the final.
He has since taken that form into the new campaign, with three goals and an assist in Toulouse's opening 12 Ligue 1 matches of the season.
When asked why Cresswell isn't being spoken about more, European football expert Andy Brassell told talkSPORT.com: "I guess that's really a reflection of the sort of club he's at, to be honest.
"I mean, someone who was recruited when Damien Comolli was president there, who knows the English game so, so well. So I think you could say that Cresswell is a success of Comolli."
Cresswell has been a standout for Toulouse and is wanted by West Ham
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Cresswell has been a standout for Toulouse and is wanted by West HamCredit: AFP
Cresswell 'like a Thiago Silva'
"Charlie Cresswell's not new," Brassell continued. "He's been in France for a couple of years now, and he's settled; he knows the league. I think his physical power lends to it pretty well as well.
"What's becoming clear is this is a bit of a breakout year for him.
"Not just because it's an improved Toulouse team, but because he's at this stage now where not only is he defending very, very well, but he's making the most of his strength and power at set pieces.
"It sort of recalls, like a Thiago Silva, someone who's a real threat in the opposition penalty box, who's got real smarts about him."
England boss Tuchel knows all about the Brazilian from their time together at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
England manager Tuchel won the Champions League at Chelsea with the real Silva
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England manager Tuchel won the Champions League at Chelsea with the real SilvaCredit: Getty
Silva joined Chelsea at age 35 but still scored eight Premier League goals
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Silva joined Chelsea at age 35 but still scored eight Premier League goalsCredit: Getty
Club Appearances Goal involvements
Leeds United U21 39 2
Leeds United 14 0
Millwall 30 6
Toulouse 46 10
England U21 21 4
Cresswell is also showing himself to be a threat in both boxes
However, Tuchel opted to draft in another of his former Blues defenders, Trevoh Chalobah, to his latest England squad.
"For me, before Charlie Cresswell gets into the full England squad, he's going to have to make a step up from Toulouse," Brassell added.
"Toulouse aren't going to qualify for Europe anytime soon unless they go and win the Coupe de France.
"So there's a real limit to what he can do there."
Cresswell kept Euro U21 top goalscorer Woltemade quiet in June's final
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Cresswell kept Euro U21 top goalscorer Woltemade quiet in June's final
'World Cup coming too fast for him'
"I'm imagining if he completes this season the way he started it, he will get a move to a bigger club, be that a club in France or somewhere else on the continent or a sort of mid-table Premier League team.
"And then from there, he'll be able to build towards the England squad for Euro 2028. World Cup 26 is coming too fast for him.
"He's good, but it's difficult for people to judge his true level until he's with a team that's challenging for Europe or for trophies.
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"So it's very promising. It's very impressive that he came, and he had to really fight his way into the team.
"But it's not the sort of achievement that's so undeniable that it's going to catapult them directly into the England set up."