Leeds United center-back Charlie Cresswell has been impressing a lot during his loan spell with Millwall in the Championship and could be in line for a better role at Elland Road next term.
After staying in the Premier League last season, Leeds came into this campaign with a number of players in need of better playing opportunities than they could get at Elland Road.
Charlie Cresswell was in that group, as he sealed a loan move to the New Den, to spend the season with Millwall in the Championship.
There have been ups and downs for the 20-year-old, as is the case for many a youngster who gets shipped out on loan, but the center-back has become a key part of the Lions’ promotion push under Gary Rowett.
Here, we look at two reasons why Cresswell has to be a part of Leeds’ setup heading into the 2023/24 season…
Robin Koch has nailed his place as the starting right-center-back this season in the Premier League, muscling his way in front of Diego Llorente in the reckoning.
Such a pecking order shift has seen the Spaniard move on loan to AS Roma, indicating he isn’t part of the long-term plans at Leeds.
That leaves the club with one current right-footed center-back in the squad as things stand, and Cresswell should come back into the squad to immediately compete with the German for a place.
It saves Leeds from signing someone for an eight-figure fee in the summer window, adding depth and real potential to the squad.
In terms of his own performances, Cresswell is doing everything to show that this loan is making him a better and more mature center-back.
There was plenty of justified talk in January that Leeds was considering ending his loan spell at the New Den, but he’s stuck at it under Rowett and become one of the best-performing players in recent weeks.
This sort of experience is invaluable for a player like Cresswell, and he’s going to come back to Thorp Arch miles richer for the experience.
We will have a different player on our hands in the summer to look at, and that should be rewarded with first-team opportunities.
