Leeds United look to be heading towards another summer of change at Elland Road, with a number of sales expected, on top of many new bodies entering the building ahead of another Championship season.
Daniel Farke will stick it out in the Whites managerial dug-out regardless of what personnel lines up for the first game, hoping to add another promotion to his CV up from the second-tier as boss, after being agonisingly close last campaign, before Southampton spoiled the Leeds party at Wembley.
The centre-back spots are just one position that could look very different in West Yorkshire when a first ball is kicked to start the 2024/25 season, with Joe Rodon back at Tottenham Hotspur for the time being after being a star under Farke, whilst there could also be some exits from this spot on the pitch too who are permanently attached to the Whites.
Charlie Cresswell's future very much hangs in the balance, and with reports suggesting a number of suitors from Europe are eyeing up the forgotten 21-year-old, the reserve figure could finally feel wanted again at a new employer soon, after being chucked to the Leeds periphery for the majority of last campaign.
The latest on Charlie Cresswell's future at Leeds
There would have been anticipation in the air that when Cresswell returned to Leeds last summer – fresh from a formative loan stint at Millwall – that this would finally be his moment in the spotlight for his boyhood Whites.
Proving himself to be a nuisance for the Lions by netting an unexpected five goals, even whilst operating as a resolute centre-back at the Den, Cresswell would unfortunately never get his Leeds senior career up and running on his arrival back to West Yorkshire, with just seven appearances gifted to him by Farke across the full campaign.
It's not how the 21-year-old would have envisaged his Leeds career going after impressing in the youth set-ups before being given sparing chances in the senior mix, with his time at the Championship club already now fizzling out.
His stuttering career could be offered a lifeline in the form of a move away to Europe, however, according to reports, with the likes of Toulouse and Hertha Berlin eyeing up the low-on-confidence Whites man according to football journalist Alan Nixon, as Hannover 96 have already ruled themselves out of a move for the Leeds number five.
Only penning a new contract for Leeds at the start of the 2023/24 term, having actually started the Whites' Championship opener away at Birmingham City before his career began to unravel, the script wasn't meant to end with Cresswell just walking away after bitterly disappointing those at Elland Road.
Yet, that looks as if it will be a reality very soon, with Leeds just hoping that the sale of 21-year-old doesn't come back to bite them down the line, in a similar fashion to Leif Davis, who is a Premier League player next season revelling in his old club's woes no doubt.
Why Cresswell could end up being Davis 2.0
Davis would exit his boyhood club in very similar circumstances to Cresswell back in 2022, but instead of letting the Leeds rejection get the better of him, it's arguably worked as fuel for the tricky full-back to prove doubters wrong, which he did in spades last campaign for Ipswich.
Making the exact same amount of appearances Cresswell has next to his name in the senior mix at Leeds, at 14 appearances, Davis' sale to the Tractor Boys is one the powers that be at Elland Road must rue, with the buoyed on 24-year-old amassing a ridiculous 21 assists last campaign for his promotion-winning side.
23/24 (Ipswich)
44
2
21
22/23 (Ipswich)
46
3
14
20/21 (Leeds)
6
0
0
19/20 (Leeds)
5
0
1
18/19 (Leeds)
5
0
0
The left-back would explode into life away from the stifling environment of Leeds, rarely given time to express himself in the senior team before leaving for Suffolk, and Cresswell will hope he can follow in Davis' footsteps soon.
The 21-year-old did shine for Millwall out on loan last season to prove he can can perform in such a tough division in the Championship, helping the Lions to pick up five clean sheets as an aggressive option in the heart of the defence when picked, but that wasn't enough for him to then be selected regularly by Farke.
Once labelled as being "outstanding" by Leeds content creator Joe Wainman when on the cusp of more first-team chances, there will be some Whites supporters who wondered if Cresswell could resurrect his time at the club with the next campaign coming into view, especially with Rodon no longer around.
Now, however, a potential £3m exit stares the academy product in the face, which Leeds will further worry could end up being a bargain for whatever suitor wins him, having once offloaded Davis for a fee in the region of just £1m.
Leeds' mixed luck losing academy products
Leeds arguably have a reputation for never quite getting the most out of the recent products that have worked their way up through the youth set-up to the point of first-team stardom, minus the obvious example of Kalvin Phillips.
Selling Phillips for £45m remains a masterstroke, but that same year, Davis would exit on the cheap, with his Football Transfers valuation now standing at a far heftier £5.9m.
Kalvin Phillips
£45m
£11.3m
Alex Mowatt
£600k
£1.5m
Lewis Cook
£6m
£5.2m
Jack Clarke
£10m
£7m
Leif Davis
£1m
£5.9m
Despite selling on Jack Clarke for an eye-watering £10m back in 2019, Leeds will regret not attempting to keep a firmer grip on their ex-homegrown gem, considering he has since turned into a star at the same level the Whites find themselves marooned in, scoring 15 goals last season for Sunderland.
Alex Mowatt is another regret, no doubt, who is now a key cog under Carlos Corberan at fellow second-tier side West Bromwich Albion, with fears that Cresswell could end up becoming another skeleton in Leeds' closet over time.
Yet, with it looking unlikely that Farke will gift Cresswell more first-team chances next time out, with the German manager stating he wasn't 'mentally ready' at points last season to step up when needed, this will be a sale that's sanctioned regardless.
The decision to sell him on could end up haunting those at Elland Road, especially if the central defender ends up crossing paths with his ex-club down the line like Davis, to have the last laugh.
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ByDan Emery
