Fabrizio Romano (Credit: Imago)
Leeds United defied expectations to survive in the Premier League and finished 14th in the final standings in the 2025/26 season.
The club are now working towards improving their squad for next season, and are keen to bring in upgrades in several areas of their squad in the upcoming transfer window.
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Leeds are focused on improving their defence and are likely to bring in at least one senior centre-back amid talk of Pascal Struijk leaving the club ahead of next season.
However, there will be a tinge of regret at Leeds about the potential return of a former academy star to the Premier League this summer, as he could have been the ideal solution for the Whites.
Fabrizio Romano confirms the potential return of Charlie Cresswell to the Premier League
Charlie Cresswell has emerged as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe since leaving Leeds. His performances in Toulouse have turned heads in England.
Brighton have been interested in signing the former Leeds defender, and even tabled a bid worth up to £20m in the winter transfer window.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Seagulls are still interested in signing the centre-back in the summer and are pushing to explore a deal.
The England Under-21 international has continued to impress in France, and it is seen as a matter of time before he returns to England and the Premier League.
However, the French club are not prepared to sell him for a knockdown fee. Toulouse have further raised their price for the defender since the winter window.
Brighton or any other Premier League club, who are keen to sign Cresswell, will have to shell out a considerable fee to sign the defender this summer.
Leeds must get into the mix
The lack of opportunities under Daniel Farke pushed Cresswell to move on from Leeds after having impressive loan spells in the Championship.
At Toulouse, he has proved his mettle, and he should have received more opportunities when he was at Leeds under Farke.
Leeds are in the market for a centre-back, and Cresswell is exactly the profile of defender Leeds are keen to sign in the upcoming transfer window.
🛡️ Defensive & Aerial Metric Season Tally / Average
🏃♂️ Appearances (Starts) 29 (28)
⏱️ Minutes Played 2,533
✈️ Aerial Duels Won (Per 90) 4.7
📊 Aerial Duel Success Rate 65.0%
🧱 Clearances (Per 90) 6.2
🛑 Interceptions (Per 90) 1.1
👟 Tackles Won (Per 90) 0.5
🔄 Ball Recoveries (Per 90) 2.7
🥅 Clean Sheets 8
🟨 Yellow Cards 8
📈 Average Match Rating 7.04
Data accurate for the 2025/2026 Ligue 1 season campaign. Per 90 stats denote averages adjusted for a full 90-minute match duration.
He should be a target for Leeds as well. However, Farke and Cresswell would have to mend their differences for any fairytale return to become a reality.
And it seems unclear whether the young defender is ready to return to Elland Road when he has clubs with European football chasing him.