West Ham have been linked with the former Leeds United academy graduate.placeholder image
West Ham have been linked with the former Leeds United academy graduate. | Getty Images
Nuno Espirito Santo could look to bring the former Championship star to the Premier League in January.
West Ham are reported to have made the acquisition of a central defender a top priority come the January transfer window after a poor start to the Premier League season.
Nuno Espirito Santo has now managed two wins on the bounce as Hammers boss but those six points have not ended concerns over defensive options. West Ham have conceded 23 goals so far this season with only Wolves recording a worse record in the division, with 25 put past the Midlands outfit.
Nuno has been using Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo at centre-back, with Konstantinos Mavropanos struggling with injury. Several names have been linked with a January move to the London Stadium and now one former Leeds United man has emerged as a target.
West Ham reignited interest in former Leeds United defender
talkSPORT claims that West Ham have ‘reignited’ their interest in Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell. That comes after the 23-year-old was told that he must move to the Premier League to fulfil his England dream.
The report adds that Liverpool and Manchester United have previously targeted the player, who moved to Ligue 1 in July 2024 having played just 137 minutes in the 2023/24 Championship season.
Cresswell is a product of the Leeds United youth academy but only ever made 14 appearances for the senior team. The defender spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Millwall, making 30 appearances and memorably scoring a brace on his debut against Stoke City.
The centre-back impressed for Toulouse last season and was an ever-present in Lee Carsley’s England under-21 side this summer, who defended their Euro title. Cresswell scored in the Young Lions’ opening match and dealt with Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade in the final.
Cresswell told to seek Toulouse exit for England call-up
European football expert Andy Brassell told talkSPORT that Cresswell must make a ‘step up’ to find himself in the senior England team. He said: "For me, before Charlie Cresswell gets into the full England squad, he's going to have to make a step up from Toulouse. 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.
"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. 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."
In other news, West Ham man 'sorry' after missing international penalty as attacker benched in 2-0 victory while defender features in dramatic win.
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