There are, at least, some people who can see the benefits of Charlie Cresswell joining a club of West Ham United’s ilk before the transfer window closes at 7pm on Monday evening.
How the Toulouse defender himself feels about potentially plugging the holes in Nuno Espirito Santo’s leaky backline, well, that remains something of a mystery.
Charlie Cresswell certainly did not appear in any rush to force through a move when West Ham had a £13 million loan-to-buy bid rejected last summer.
Charlie Cresswell will be West Ham’s best defender…😍
How can Nuno convince him to join?
Six months later, while West Ham United are still very much in the mix, while further offers have arrived from Wolfsburg and Brighton and Hove Albion, public statements, come-and-get-me pleas and transfer requests have been conspicuous by their absence.
As French football reporter Jonathan Johnson tells the On the Continent podcast, Cresswell ‘is onto a good thing with Toulouse’. He feels that the Preston-born Leeds academy graduate is a dark horse to be included in England’s World Cup squad.
Make the wrong move, at the wrong time, and any hopes he would have of convincing Thomas Tuchel would wither and die. But the right one – say, should he return to England and guide West Ham to safety – could potentially secure him a seat on the plane.
That is the dilemma facing Cresswell over the next three days, then.
West Ham United interested as Charlie Cresswell told to consider Premier League switch
Johnson does feel that a Premier League switch – be it a West Ham, a Brighton or a Crystal Palace, to name just some of the clubs who reportedly hold an interest – would be the most sensible option if indeed Cresswell does opt to bring an end to an excellent year-and-a-half in France.
“The timing is very interesting, given the World Cup and the fact that he may be an outsider in terms of breaking into Thomas Tuchel’s defensive options very late on,” Johnson says.
“I don’t think it would be the worst thing in the world if he stays at Toulouse. But I understand that they are a club that, when the offer is right, cannot afford to not sell – like every French club at the moment because of the financial situation.”
Toulouse reportedly value Cresswell at £30 million. Hammers News can confirm that West Ham held discussions with the Ligue 1 outfit on the other side of Christmas, looking to pick up where they left off in early-September.
Yet, West Ham are yet to join Wolfsburg and Brighton in putting their money where their mouth is.
“I feel that [Wolfsburg] could be a bit of a risk because, culturally, it might take time to adapt to a new league,” adds Johnson.
“For me, if he is to make a move, it would make sense for it to be back to England, where he’s familiar with the level of play. It’s a very risky period because his value has grown massively over the last year or so, to the point where he’s now knocking on the door.
“I understand his motivation might be to make sure his claim to a spot in England’s World Cup squad is as strong as possible but, equally, [the wrong move] could have ramifications for his career beyond this summer.”
Andy Brassell talks up potential Borussia Dortmund move
On a scale of 1-10, how much does Axel Disasi actually improve West Ham’s defence? 👀
Not to knock him as a player, but he’s hardly played in months!
Fabrizio Romano reported on Thursday night that West Ham had entered talks with Chelsea regarding a loan deal for Axel Disasi. Perhaps, having already spent nearly £50 million this month, there is simply not enough room left in the budget for a £30 million centre-back.
Stamford Bridge boss Liam Rosenior confirmed that nothing is imminent regarding Disasi, though, as the two London rivals prepare to face off on Saturday evening.
European football oracle Andy Brassell is a lot more positive than Johnson regarding the prospect of Cresswell following in the Bundesliga footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham.
Specifically, at Borussia Dortmund.
“If you look at his profile – his size, the fact that he gobbles up everything in the air, and that he’s become much better in possession – I think it is interesting that there is a lot of interest in him from Germany,” Brassell says.
“It seems Premier League clubs, the top Premier League clubs, are not quite sold on whether he can make that leap from ‘very good’ to the next level yet.
“In fact, one of the more interesting things I heard this week – alongside Wolfsburg’s long-standing interest – is that he’s been part of discussions at Borussia Dortmund.
“In the medium term, I think Wolfsburg to see how it goes, and then perhaps Dortmund after that. For me, leaving Toulouse for a Dortmund or a top-ten Premier League side right now feels too big of a risk.”
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