Charlie Cresswell back in the frame at West Ham as Nuno Espirito Santo targets January centre-back
Nuno Espirito Santo could turn back to Charlie Cresswell to fill his requirements for a new West Ham centre-back.
Movement is beginning at the London Stadium ahead of what could be a crucial January transfer window with Niclas Fullkrug’s exit now agreed on a loan-to-buy to AC Milan.
Nuno wants a new striker and a centre back at West Ham with his side languishing in the relegation zone as Christmas approaches.
Jorgen Strand Larsen is wanted for the former while defender Cresswell has been linked to West Ham previously under Graham Potter.
Nuno could move for Cresswell at West Ham
Potter was ready to pay £18million for Cresswell in the summer just a year after he left Leeds United for less than £4m.
But West Ham then only made a loan offer which was rejected by Toulouse as the club also failed in their attempts to bring in Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Now, Jacob Steinberg reports in The Guardian that with Nuno chasing a centre-back this winter the Portuguese could revive interest in Cresswell that didn’t get over the line under his predecessor.
The 23-year-old has made 47 Ligue 1 appearances since departing England, having been unable to break through at Elland Road despite a decent loan spell at Millwall.
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Graham Potter will rage at David Sullivan if Cresswell signed
If West Ham ultimately end up bringing in Cresswell this winter then Potter will likely have more reason to be infuriated with the club hierarchy.
The England Under-21 international appeared to be there for the taking, for a fee that wasn’t exactly outlandish, in the summer but haggling over the make up of the deal clearly saw the club end up empty handed.
Potter has of course since been sacked, and while it is hard to imagine that the former Leeds youngster would have made all the difference it will have done nothing but delay matters for four or five months if West Ham are forced to just cough up after all now.
It would appear that the worryingly long list of signings that have been brought in over the past couple of years without subsequently justifying the outlay continues to have knock-on effects as the Irons look to scrimp and save on subsequent deals and waste their own time.
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