Sunderland linked with January move for Leeds defender
Sunderland have been linked with a January move for Leeds centre-back Charlie Cresswell.
It is not the first time that Sunderland have been credited with an interest in the 20-year-old. They initially wanted him the summer of 2021, shortly after the current recruitment team was put in place.
They failed to land him then, and he has spent the first half of this season on loan at Millwall, who brought him in the replace Dan Ballard.
However, he has struggled to hold down a first team spot for the Lions, and The Athletic’s Phil Hay reports that Leeds will review the situation this month with both loan and permanent offers expected.
Leeds All Over claim Sunderland are one of those clubs interested, although those reports are far from verified.
In one sense, Cresswell fits the ‘transfer model’ of signing young players and developing them so there is a plan of succession for every position at the club.
It that sense, you could see Cresswell coming in and playing games here and there before stepping into Danny Batth’s spot.
On the other hand, Sunderland are looking very strong at centre back right now with Batth, Ballard, Luke O’Nien, Bailey Wright and Aji Alese. It would be a little surprising, then, if they chose to spend money there when it could be used much better in other key areas that are looking a lot weaker.
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