Credit: Imago

Scott Mason

Mon 23 March 2026 17:10, UK

Charlie Cresswell was sold by Leeds United for just £4million, a fee they may now regret accepting after a new comparison to Virgil van Dijk.

Cresswell, who grew up in Yorkshire, was in the Leeds academy for seven years before making his senior debut at 18 years old.

The defender played just 14 senior games for the Whites until he was sold to Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

Over the years, the Englishman has continued to progress and increase his stock within the football world, leaving potential for Elland Road officials to rue their past choices.

Now, that will likely be fuelled even more as Leeds’ transfer decision over Cresswell has been made to look even worse.

How has Charlie Cresswell been compared to Virgil van Dijk?

Van Dijk is known as one of the best defenders of the last decade, and two of his most recognisable qualities are his aerial prowess and his ball-playing.

Cresswell appears to be following suit in that fashion, and his statistics in that area place him as one of the most similar to the Dutchman.

As the stats above, sourced via Sofascore, show, Cresswell, while below the Dutchman in those metrics, is not far off his numbers.

At just 23 years old, there is plenty of time for him to grow and morph closer to the dominance that van Dijk showcases.

Additionally, research by Spencer Mossman shows that across players 23 or under, the Englishman is one of the closest in terms of ability and style to the Liverpool captain.

After selling Cresswell for just £4m, there are sure to be some regrets in LS11 that they let such a talent leave so cheaply.

However, the Whites could still rake in money from the defender. Leeds did include a 15 per cent sell-on clause on profit above what they sold him for.

How much is Charlie Cresswell worth now?

According to Transfermarkt, Cresswell has a market value of around £13m. If Toulouse were to sell the 23-year-old for that price, that would land Leeds an extra £1.35m.

Of course, with the comparisons to van Dijk, the Yorkshire club will be hoping that higher offers can come in for the Toulouse player.

They have already rejected offers higher than that, so much-needed funds could be coming soon.

Receiving a high fee from the sell-on clause may ultimately soften the blow they could be feeling about their decision.

The Englishman has been linked with a move back to the Premier League, with West Ham keeping tabs on Cresswell.

Additionally, Chelsea and Liverpool have previously been touted to make a move for the centre-back, in what would be a real slap in the face to those in LS11.