Leeds United eye £2m cash boost as Premier League relegation rivals linked with shock transfer
Leeds United could receive a fresh cash injection during the January transfer window if a move materialises.
Leeds United could be in receipt of a seven-figure cash boost if Premier League rivals West Ham move for a former defender in January.
The Hammers have been linked with fresh interest in defender Charlie Cresswell, who left Elland Road for French outfit Toulouse in a £3.8million deal back in 2024. The 23-year-old impressed during his debut campaign in 2024/25 but has really kicked on this season, scoring three goals in 12 Ligue 1 appearances.
Cresswell is actually the only Toulouse player yet to miss a minute of league action and his performances in France have attracted regular attention. Over the summer, he was linked with a possible move to Como in Italy while reports of interest from elsewhere in Italy cited a price-tag of around €20million (£17.7m).
West Ham were briefly linked with summer interest in Cresswell and according to talkSPORT, could reignite their pursuit once the January window opens. Defensive reinforcements are expected to be a priority for manager Nuno Espirito Santo, whose side remain in the relegation zone despite back-to-back home wins.
Only rock-bottom Wolves have conceded more goals than West Ham’s 23, with a vulnerability from set-pieces costing them dearly already. Cresswell’s height and physicality would therefore make for an ideal addition and the threat of relegation could force London Stadium chiefs into action.
Cresswell’s value has sky-rocketed since leaving Leeds for just under £4m back in 2024, having enjoyed the kind of regular football that was not forthcoming in West Yorkshire. Following relegation in 2023 and the arrival of Daniel Farke, Joe Rodon signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur to fill the right centre-back spot and has been virtually ever-present since.
Leeds United’s Charlie Cresswell sell-on clause amid West Ham links
A potential £18m move away from Toulouse might raise questions as to why Cresswell was initially sold so cheap but Elland Road chiefs insured against such a scenario when negotiating terms. As the YEP reported amid links to Como in the summer, Leeds are set to receive 15 per cent of any future profits on the centre-back, a sell-on clause that could be worth millions.
An £18m move, for example, would see Toulouse bank an initial profit of around £14.2m on Cresswell after 18 months of football in France. But 15 per cent of that would be due to head to Elland Road which amounts to £2.1m extra, ensuring Leeds received a total of just under £6m for their academy prospect via the initial fee and sell-on amount.
That £2m injection could prove absolutely massive for Leeds in January too, given managing director Robbie Evans revealed in September they were right at the limit of maximum PSR losses as a result of summer business. Any further spending would need to be offset either by sales or another avenue of increased revenue.
A process known as amortisation essentially allows clubs to spread the cost of a transfer fee over the length of a player’s contract, meaning a £10m fee for someone on a five-year deal would go into a club’s accounts as £2m per year for the length of that contract. And so that £2m fee could be the difference between Leeds being able to make a mid-season attacking addition or not.