Charlie Cresswell may have just helped Leeds United land their first January signing
Leeds United are one of many Premier League clubs yet to complete a signing in January, but that could be about to change.
Whilst Daniel Farke’s main priority is holding on to his key first-team players at Elland Road, the German has identified some priority targets.
Leeds have shown an interest in Danilho Doekhi from Union Berlin, identifying the Dutchman as a defensive option to rival the likes of Joe Rodon, Pascal Strujik and Jaka Bijol.
Doekhi wants to leave Union Berlin by the start of the summer transfer window, and Farke is keen on landing the 27-year-old after once trying to sign him for Norwich City.
Charlie Cresswell could help Leeds United sign Danilho Doekhi
Leeds appeared to be the frontrunners in the race for the 6′ 3″ colossus, and Union being close to the signing of Zeno Van Den Bosch gave them an advantage.
That was until it was revealed on Monday that Wolfsburg were exploring a deal for Doekhi, seeing him as a potential option to fix their defensive woes.
🚨🐺 EXCL | VfL Wolfsburg are now exploring a winter deal for Charlie #Cresswell.
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) January 14, 2026
Concrete negotiations are ongoing. The 23 y/o centre-back is under contract with Toulouse until 2028.
❌ No clearance from Brentford for Kristoffer Ajer. No developments yet regarding Danilho… pic.twitter.com/iTrVrsIfj6
But since then, Florian Plettenberg has reported that Wolfsburg are negotiating with Toulouse over the transfer of former Leeds defender Charlie Cresswell.
A product of the Whites Academy, Leeds sold Cresswell for £3.8million to Toulouse in 2024, and could earn a windfall from any switch after inserting a 15 per cent sell-on clause in his contract.
On top of that, the 23-year-old potentially moving to the Bundesliga could place Farke in pole position to land Doekhi, and that is excellent news for everyone involved.
| Danilho Doekhi 2025/26 Bundesliga stats |
| 16 appearances |
| 4 goals |
| 4 clean sheets |
| 1.9 tackles per game |
| 1.3 interceptions per game |
| 5.3 clearances per game |
What Doekhi would bring to Leeds
Union are probably desperate to sell Doekhi in January, instead of losing him on a free transfer in the summer, and he would be an excellent addition to the Leeds backline.
Farke’s men are already strong from set-pieces, scoring the joint-most goals from these situations, and Doekhi would improve them even more.
The towering centre-back has bagged four goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances this term, becoming a secret weapon in attacking areas.
Doekhi isn’t just a threat aerially, but he’s also a calming influence in possession and is great at reading the game, two attributes that could see him excel in the top-flight.