Leeds United: Daniel Farke may have left Elland Road door open for Charlie Cresswell January exit after comments made
Daniel Farke may well have left the door wide open for Charlie Cresswell to exit Leeds United this month following his comments after the Birmingham City win.
Cresswell’s future at Leeds looks incredibly bleak with just three starts in all competitions so far this season.
Farke, asked after their 3-0 win over Birmingham City on New Year’s Day, if Cresswell is likely to leave, he admitted that it will be up to the player should he want to leave the club this month but made it clear that they would like to keep him.
Farke, speaking on the youngster’s future, as shared by The Athletic journalist Phil Hay (1 January), said: “Charlie’s a proud player. It’s up to him if he wants to take this challenge.
“From our side, there is no will to let him go but it’s important to speak about what the player wants.”
The Thorp Arch academy graduate is so far down the pecking order he’s only been included by Farke in the matchday squads once since the 2-1 win over Plymouth before the November international break [SofaScore].
The interest in his talented services is now deservedly increasing with the January window now open which leaves Cresswell with a crucial decision over his future.
It is abundantly clear that Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, and Liam Cooper are ahead of him right now in Farke’s thinking which leaves him bereft of opportunities and game time at the club.
Farke’s several decisions to leave him out of the matchday squads this season certainly suggest that he doesn’t see him as part of his plans and that has led to several transfer interest which Cresswell must now be considering.
The Sunday Mirror [30 December, page 72] reported that the youngster is ready to quit Elland Road for good amid interest from the likes of Sunderland and Ipswich Town while The Sun newspaper journalist Alan Nixon has also reported, via his Patreon [31 December], that Blackburn Rovers are interested in his services in a “surprise” move.
Cresswell is an incredibly gifted player but is certainly at an age where he needs to be playing regularly at a high level as he tremendously showed last season at Millwall and even on international duty for the England under-21s.
Farke may well have said he wishes for Cresswell to stay but reading between the lines of his latest comments on his future, the door is certainly open for the young defender to take charge of his own destiny.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites are targeting a Premier League ace as they prepare for a transfer blitz in January.