Leeds United academy graduate Charlie Cresswell has reportedly emerged as a target for Liverpool.
The 23-year-old enjoyed swift progression through the youth ranks at Elland Road, only to find opportunities limited once he reached the senior set-up.
He was sold to Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse for a fee of £3.8m in the summer of 2024, with reports indicating Leeds inserted a 15 per cent sell-on fee into the deal.
As a result, the club will undoubtedly have been keeping tabs on the development of their former prospect.
Charlie Cresswell represented England at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship last year.placeholder image
Charlie Cresswell represented England at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship last year. | PA Wire
Cresswell has thrived in France and was strongly linked with West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion across the last two summer windows.
A big-money move would have pocketed Leeds a welcome windfall but a switch away from Ligue 1 did not materialise.
Charlie Cresswell latest
It does not appear implausible a deal could be done in the summer and according to SportsBoom, the commanding centre-back has emerged as a target for Liverpool.
Liverpool could reportedly table a bid worth 30m (£26.1m) in order to test Toulouse’s resolve over the former England Under-21s star.
Tottenham Hotspur are also said to have shown interest and a move to North London would reunite Cresswell with his former Leeds teammate Archie Gray.
Charlie Cresswell’s time at Leeds United
Cresswell was loaned to Millwall by Leeds in the summer of 2022 and his exploits in the capital suggested a more prominent role would await him back at Elland Road.
Leeds’ relegation to the Championship only strengthened this belief but Whites boss Daniel Farke proved reluctant to rely on the academy graduate.
Charlie Cresswell left Leeds United at the end of the 2023/24 season.placeholder image
Charlie Cresswell left Leeds United at the end of the 2023/24 season. | Tony Johnson
“But then you’ve got a situation where he’s clearly not fancied because other people were getting in front of him, getting minutes off the bench in front of him.
“So the writing was totally on the wall. And when we tested the club by saying we might have some interest and the club go ‘fine, this is how much we want’, it’s done. There’s no going back from that.”