Pundit makes Charlie Cresswell 'surprise' admission as Leeds United man linked with three clubs

Charlie Cresswell would be well within his rights to seek a permanent move away from Leeds United this summer. That's the belief of former Whites man Carlton Palmer, who admits he would be ‘surprised’ should Leeds be willing to listen to offers for Cresswell, who is still just 21.

The defender made just seven appearances in all competitions for the Whites last season after struggling to force his way into Daniel Farke's first-team plans. As such, the England Under-21 international was heavily linked with a move away from Elland Road in January before sticking around to provide defensive back-up that was rarely needed despite a season-ending injury for Pascal Struijk.

Cresswell could be approaching something of a pivotal summer then and reported interest from the likes of Hertha Berlin, Hannover 96 and Toulouse could well give the club a decision to make. With Joe Rodon returning to Spurs and Liam Cooper yet to sign a new deal, Leeds could find themselves short of centre-back options heading into the summer transfer window and the presence of Cresswell could prove to be important.

After the season just gone, though, Palmer can certainly see why Cresswell would in theory be tempted to leave, should such opportunities be put in front of him.

“Leeds did have one of the best defensive records in the Championship last season, but it’s still a surprise given that Cresswell is still only 21 and has proven that he can play at Championship level after a successful loan spell at Millwall where he acquitted himself very well," Palmer told Football League World.

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He added: “I’m a little bit surprised by it, but I’m a big advocate of Daniel Farke, and he knows what he’s doing. They had a very good defensive record last season, and Cresswell only made seven appearances for the Whites last season, so they must feel that what they’ve got is adequate in those areas.

“Given his age and his talent, I’m a little surprised that Leeds United will listen to offers and let him go, but from the player’s point of view, seven games a season is not sufficient, and he wants to play.

“Maybe it’s a conversation between him and the club that it’s better for him to move on and get playing time. I’m sure Leeds will ask for a buyback clause and a sell-on fee when he leaves."

Cresswell has been with Leeds since joining the club as a schoolboy in 2013, working his way up through the youth ranks at Thorp Arch and eventually stepping into the first-team fold. The defender has made just 14 senior appearances for the Whites but he did see a lot of game time during his loan with Millwall in 2022-23. He was a regular with the Lions, appearing 28 times in the Championship and hitting the back of the net on four occasions.