West Ham United have tracked Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell for what feels like an age now, but interest from Manchester United could complicate matters.
While West Ham United eventually signed Axel Disasi to bolster their defensive ranks, the Frenchman is only on loan and his future remains unclear.
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Cresswell, meanwhile, has been a long-term target here in east London.
Indeed, West Ham have wanted to sign Cresswell for two transfer windows, but he remains at French club Toulouse.
Now, Manchester United could enter the running.
Manchester United interested in signing Charlie Cresswell
Speaking on The United Stand podcast, noted transfer insider Ben Jacobs revealed that the Red Devils were keeping tabs on the England U21 international ahead of the summer transfer window.
He said: “One name that I think they really like, that’s a new name I can bring to the mix is Charlie Cresswell, who used to be at Leeds United. An England U21 international, Wolfsburg came very close to signing him in the January window but were not able to meet the Toulouse valuation.
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“So, he’s still there, he’s playing every week in Ligue 1. Along with a few other names, he’s one of the profiles that Man United are looking at.”
That would be a major blow for West Ham if they do remain in the Premier League. The idea of them beating the Manchester giants to a player is almost unthinkable in the modern age, particularly with the Red Devils on the up under former Hammers midfielder Michael Carrick.
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Clearly, much will depend on exactly where West Ham are playing next season, whether that’s in the Championship or the Premier League.
Either way, however, their defence needs improvement. Disasi’s future is uncertain and a top target in Cresswell could be heading elsewhere.
Though Jean-Clair Todibo and Konstantinos Mavropanos have impressed this season, they showed earlier in the campaign that relying on them alone is just not enough.
This summer, a new central defender does need to be signed on a permanent basis, a task that will be made a lot easier if Nuno Espirito Santo does manage to keep them up.
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