Leeds United in line for seven-figure cash windfall after £18m Premier League transfer update — YEP 29/6/25
By Kyle Newbould
Leeds United could get a fresh cash injection thanks to one
of their summer 2024 exits.
Leeds United could be set for a fresh seven-figure boost to
their transfer coffers if reports of interest in Charlie Cresswell develop into
a move.
Cresswell enjoyed an impressive debut campaign at FC
Toulouse, having joined the French outfit in a £3.8million deal last summer,
playing 34 games across all competitions and scoring four goals. The combative
centre-back was in the unenviable position of competing for minutes with Joe
Rodon at Elland Road and with little chance of usurping the ever-present
Welshman, decided on a fresh challenge.
That impressive season in France, coupled with his brilliant
performances as England Under-21s won the UEFA U21 European Championships on
Saturday evening, has attracted interest in Cresswell and reports suggest he
could join one of Leeds’ 2025/26 Premier League rivals. Journalist Alan Nixon
reports via Patreon that a number of unnamed English top-flight clubs are
keeping tabs on the 22-year-old, as well as Serie A pair Atalanta and Como.
Reports of interest from Como initially emerged earlier this
month, with Sky Italia claiming there were advanced negotiations for the
defender to join Cesc Fabregas’ newly-promoted side. Those reports appear to
have been a little premature, with nothing since suggesting a move is imminent,
but interest in the former Leeds man is growing.
Nixon reports that Toulouse value Cresswell at £18m, a
significant increase on their £3.8m outlay just 12 months ago and more than the
reported £14.5m Como were supposedly closing in on. But even at that price-tag,
potential suitors are not thought to be put off.
Do Leeds United have a sell-on clause for Charlie Cresswell?
While Leeds might be disappointed to see Cresswell’s value
sky rocket since leaving Elland Road, they will at least be due a portion of
any potential transfer fee. The YEP first reported earlier this month that upon
selling the defender to Toulouse last summer, club chiefs ensured the presence
of a sell-on clause which entitles them to 15 per cent of any future profits.
An £18m sale would see the French side initially bank a
profit of £14.2m, albeit Leeds would be due to receive around £2.1m of that.
That would essentially see their overall sale of Cresswell become worth just
under £6m and as he rose through the academy, that is all profit from a Profit
and Sustainability Rules (PSR) perspective.
And while Cresswell has certainly impressed at Toulouse and
may well do so in the Premier League with a different team, that is no
guarantee he’d have enjoyed a similar trajectory at Leeds. The young defender
was never going to usurp Rodon - a £10m permanent signing last summer and one
of Daniel Farke’s most consistent performers - and could only develop with
regular football.
Cresswell’s exit did leave Leeds with depth issues at
centre-back, given Rodon was the only senior natural right-sided centre-back
available, but fortunately he was available for every single Championship game.
Elland Road chiefs have since moved to improve competition in that area of the
pitch, with £15m defender Jaka Bijol arriving from Udinese this month.