{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Charlie Cresswell could find Leeds United pathway blocked after January arrivals of Diogo Monteiro and Max Wober
Leeds United had a very good January transfer window by the standard of any Premier League team, but it may not be ideal for one starlet.
The club completed the signings of Georginio Rutter, Max Wober and Weston McKennie for the first-team, but it was arguably the signing of young defender Diogo Monteiro that is the most interesting.
The Portuguese youth international signed on a permanent deal from Swiss club Servette on deadline day, with the idea to initially include him in the Under-21 squad for this season.
But the club’s allowance of Diego Llorente joining AS Roma on loan for the rest of the season with an option to make it permanent in the summer, that could open the door for him to make a step up to the first-team sooner than expected.
Robin Koch, Pascal Struijk, Wober and Liam Cooper currently represent the central defender options for Jesse Marsch, and the Leeds have also got highly-rated youngster Charlie Cresswell out on loan at Millwall.
Cresswell was expected to shine in the Championship but has struggled for regular football at The Den, and was the subject of a lot of interest for a permanent exit.
Subscribe to Football Insider TV now
Surprisingly though, Leeds were open to a deal.
Nothing materialised in the end and the academy starlet will see out the season in the Championship before returning to Elland Road in the summer.
But where he was expected to come back and compete for a first-team spot on a more regular basis, he could now be pushing battling for his future if Monteiro is able to shine as he is expected to.
There could well be room for both players to blossom in the first-team, with Cooper’s contract set to expire in the summer of 2024. But considering the interest that was shown in Cresswell, that isn’t likely to go anywhere in the summer.
If presented with another chance to cash in on the 20-year-old, there is no doubt that Leeds will have to seriously consider it knowing that they already have another prodigious young talent ready to come through and replace him anyway.
In other Leeds news, one star’s Elland Rd career may have been saved by Thursday annoucement.