West Ham are reportedly keen on signing Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell ahead of the transfer deadline.
Cresswell has been linked with a move to West Ham since the summer, and interest has continued into the January transfer window as well.
Thus far, the Hammers are yet to sign a new defender, while money has been spent on strengthening other areas of the pitch.
Charlie Cresswell will be West Ham’s best defender…😍
How can Nuno convince him to join?
Unnamed Premier League side makes move for Charlie Cresswell
According to Sky Sports, the race seems to be heating up for Cresswell, with the window shutting in a few days.
An unnamed Premier League club has seen a bid rejected from the Ligue 1 side for the former Leeds United defender.
That bid was said to be worth £21m, and it fell way short of Toulouse’s valuation of £30m.
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"If Nuno leaves West Ham in the summer, my dream replacement is….."
They also turned down another bid, this time from Wolfsburg, which was believed to be in the region of £30m.
The French club are not actively looking to sell the 23-year-old and are keen on keeping him until the summer.
While Crystal Palace are not the team to have bid, they are keeping tabs on him and could look to sign him at the end of the season.
Can West Ham still sign Cresswell?
West Ham are still pushing to sign Cresswell, given their defensive issues this season.
They have conceded the most goals in the Premier League this term, and believe that signing the centre-back would help avoid that.
Also, with Igor Julio returning to Brighton, space has opened up for another centre-back to move to the London Stadium.
If they are to secure the transfer, they will need to act quickly, however.
Other clubs have opened talks to sign Cresswell, and despite Toulouse’s stance, it seems very likely that he will leave in the coming days.
The English centre-back’s arrival would strengthen the Hammers’ backline significantly and give them the aerial threat they currently seem to be lacking in defence.
It remains to be seen if the Irons were the team to have made the bid and whether or not another offer closer to Toulouse’s valuation is made before the window closes.
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