In a stunning twist of football fate, Liverpool are gearing up for a sensational summer raid on Toulouse, targeting none other than former Leeds United defender Charlie Cresswell. The 23-year-old English centre-back, once deemed surplus to requirements at Elland Road and offloaded for a bargain £3.8 million in 2024, could soon be strutting his stuff at Anfield in a deal worth over £26 million. Talk about a rags-to-riches redemption story!
Liverpool’s defensive ranks are in need of fresh blood as the 2025/26 season winds down. With club captain Virgil van Dijk turning 34 and showing signs of wear, Ibrahima Konate’s contract expiring at season’s end, and the ever-unreliable Joe Gomez battling persistent injuries, the Reds are on the hunt for reinforcements. Enter Cresswell – a player Fenway Sports Group (FSG) could have snapped up for peanuts during his Leeds days but now must shell out big bucks for.
According to recent reports from Sports Boom, Liverpool are “still keen” on the towering defender and are preparing to “table a bid” exceeding €30 million (£26.1m, $35.6m). This hefty sum might just be enough to pry him away from Toulouse, where he’s flourished since his cut-price move two years ago. Cresswell has racked up 56 appearances for the French side, netting seven goals and providing four assists – impressive numbers for a centre-back. His blend of physicality, aerial prowess, and ball-playing ability has turned heads across Europe.
But Liverpool aren’t alone in this chase. A host of top clubs are circling: Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Borussia Dortmund, and Wolfsburg all have eyes on the England youth international. Newcastle United were sniffing around earlier this year, per French outlet Sport.fr on January 4, 2026. Even West Ham made him their top target in January, as revealed by TEAMtalk’s transfer insider Dean Jones, before opting for a loan deal with Chelsea’s Axel Disasi instead.
Cresswell’s journey is the stuff of football folklore. A product of Leeds’ academy, he made just 14 first-team appearances before being shown the door in 2024. Fast-forward to now, and he’s a key figure in Ligue 1, proving his doubters wrong with consistent performances. For Liverpool, signing him would not only bolster their backline but also represent a smart homegrown investment – ticking boxes for FSG’s data-driven approach.
Yet, the Reds aren’t putting all their eggs in one basket. As defending Premier League champions, they’re casting a wide net. TEAMtalk’s Dean Jones reported on February 5 that Liverpool are eyeing Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven, the speedy Dutchman who’s in contract talks with Spurs but might be lured by the promise of trophies at Anfield. Sources have also told transfer insider Graeme Bailey that Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni is on the radar – the Serie A star is open to a summer exit and widely regarded as one of Italy’s finest. Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez rounds out the list, with Liverpool monitoring the promising talent closely.
With Jeremy Jacquet set to join from Rennes next season and Giovanni Leoni returning from his ACL injury for 2026/27, Liverpool’s defense could be transformed. But landing Cresswell would be the headline-grabber: a £26m swoop for a player sold for £4m just two years prior. From Leeds reject to Anfield hero? The blockbuster return is on the verge – watch this space!