West Ham United are once again positioning Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell as a leading option for a January centre‑back signing, with multiple reports indicating that Nuno Espírito Santo’s defensive concerns and the player’s openness to a move have kept the 23‑year‑old firmly in the frame at the London Stadium.
Key Points
- West Ham United are reviving interest in Toulouse centre‑back Charlie Cresswell ahead of the January transfer window.
- Nuno Espírito Santo is understood to view a new central defender as a key requirement amid West Ham’s poor defensive record this season.
- West Ham failed with a summer move for Cresswell, including a reported £13 million bid and talks over a loan with obligation to buy.
- Cresswell has emerged as one of Ligue 1’s dominant aerial defenders at Toulouse, addressing a major weakness in West Ham’s back line, particularly at set pieces.
- As reported across West Ham‑focused outlets, club insiders say Cresswell remains “on the radar” and a “top target” should Nuno formally push for a centre‑back in January.
- Separate coverage notes West Ham’s wider January plans, including a priority push for a centre‑forward and ongoing interest in other defensive targets such as Tiago Gabriel.
- West Ham have conceded over 30 league goals already and sit in the relegation zone, intensifying pressure on the club to reinforce defensively.
- Cresswell, a former Leeds United defender, has impressed for Toulouse and with England Under‑21s, and is also reported to have attracted interest from Liverpool and Newcastle United.
- Reports suggest Cresswell is keen on a move to east London if a deal can be agreed between the clubs.
- Financially, Cresswell is viewed as a realistic and potentially cost‑effective January acquisition compared with other high‑profile defensive targets.
Why is Charlie Cresswell back in focus for West Ham?
As reported by the unnamed writer at WestHamZone, Nuno Espírito Santo “could turn back to Charlie Cresswell to fill his requirements for a new West Ham centre‑back”, with the 23‑year‑old described as being “back in the frame” ahead of the January window. The WestHamZone piece frames Cresswell as a live option on a list of defensive targets that the head coach is weighing up, following a run of results that has exposed the Hammers’ structural weaknesses at the back.
Coverage from Hammers News, cited by both WestHamWorld and Yardbarker, explains that West Ham’s hierarchy “have retained their interest in signing Charlie Cresswell in January after failing to secure his services in the summer”, underscoring that the club never truly dropped the pursuit despite the collapsed talks in the previous window. According to reporting amplified by WestHamWorld, insiders at the London Stadium regard Cresswell as a defender with “excellent” attributes and one who is once again “on the radar” as the club reassesses its January strategy.
How did the summer move for Cresswell collapse?
As reported by the unnamed author at WestHamWorld, West Ham “were keen on Cresswell during the summer, with a £13 million bid reportedly rejected by Toulouse”, while subsequent negotiations around a loan with an obligation to buy “ultimately fell through, leaving West Ham short‑handed at the back”. Hammers News, relayed via Hammers‑focused aggregation sites, similarly notes that West Ham had “made behind‑the‑scenes moves” to reach an agreement, only for Toulouse to hold firm on their valuation at that stage.
The Claret & Hugh report, which attributes its core transfer line to information drawn from The Athletic and The New York Times, states that West Ham “could be on the verge of landing one of their top summer transfer targets this January” and identifies that player as “Charlie Cresswell”, again emphasising that the London club had been working on this deal for months. In that report, Claret & Hugh detail that West Ham have been “in regular contact with Cresswell’s representatives, with dialogue said to be ongoing”, suggesting the failure in the summer was largely between clubs rather than any reluctance on the player’s side.
What are Nuno Espírito Santo’s defensive concerns?
As reported in the Claret & Hugh piece based on The Athletic’s information, Nuno Espírito Santo is “believed to be a big admirer of Cresswell” and is “increasingly concerned by repeated defensive errors, particularly when West Ham are protecting a lead”. This concern aligns with broader statistical context reported by Yardbarker, where Miguel Delaney’s aggregation of figures (as referenced there) highlights that West Ham have conceded 32 goals, the third‑worst defensive record in the Premier League at this point in the season, behind only Wolves and Burnley.
WestHamWorld underline these difficulties by pointing to a recent 3‑2 defeat against Aston Villa in which an own goal from Konstantinos Mavropanos and a brace from Morgan Rogers “laid bare” the Hammers’ frailties, leaving them 18th in the table and “facing a serious relegation battle”. In a separate tactical analysis on WestHamZone, the outlet details that West Ham have conceded more set‑piece goals than any other side in the division, with 10 of their goals conceded coming from dead‑ball situations, a theme that has reportedly pushed Nuno towards defenders with strong aerial profiles.
How does Cresswell’s profile fit West Ham’s needs?
Claret & Hugh describe Charlie Cresswell as “one of the most dominant aerial players in Ligue 1”, noting that his performances for Toulouse have “torn up the statistics” in terms of headers won and aerial duels, an area where West Ham are “currently struggling badly”. WestHamWorld, drawing again on Hammers News, characterises the former Leeds defender as a “physically dominant” presence who has become a “key figure” for Toulouse since moving to France and who has also continued to impress with England Under‑21s, whom he helped to a European Championship title.
Yardbarker’s report, citing Hammers News as the initial source, calls Cresswell a “towering England defender” and states that West Ham “want to sign Charlie Cresswell in January”, viewing him as “an ideal solution to the club’s defensive woes”. That same piece stresses that a deal “would likely not cost too much” relative to other potential targets, making the player an attractive blend of age, profile and affordability for a club currently having to balance relegation risks with financial prudence.
What is the current state of talks and the player’s stance?
As reported by Claret & Hugh, citing information from The Athletic and The New York Times, West Ham are “in regular contact with Cresswell’s representatives, with dialogue said to be ongoing”, indicating that personal terms and the player’s willingness should not be major obstacles if a fee can be settled with Toulouse. The West Ham Way, through its regular insider column by ExWHUemployee, has also confirmed that “there is still interest in Charlie Cresswell, with it understood the player is keen on the move to east London”.
In that same update, ExWHUemployee, as quoted on The West Ham Way website, notes that “Nuno hasn’t said he wants to sign a centre back at the moment but should he do, we would expect Cresswell to be top of that list”, underlining that the final push for the defender may still hinge on how the head coach prioritises positions in the coming weeks. WestHamWorld add that club insiders have “confirmed that a January deal is back on the agenda”, reinforcing the view that, structurally, the move is being prepared in case Nuno gives the definitive green light.
Are other clubs and options in the frame?
Yardbarker, referencing Hammers News as its primary source, reports that Cresswell “has also attracted attention from Liverpool and Newcastle”, indicating that West Ham may yet face competition if Toulouse fully open the bidding in January. Even so, the same report stresses that West Ham intend to “finalise a deal as early as possible”, suggesting a desire to move rapidly before the market becomes more congested.
WestHamZone’s separate feature on set‑piece defending sets Cresswell’s potential arrival alongside other defensive targets, most notably Lecce’s Tiago Gabriel, for whom West Ham are said to have had a £15.8 million bid rejected. In that piece, WestHamZone quote the iPaper as stating that Lecce value Gabriel at around £20 million and that the Italian club may be willing to cash in for a significant profit after signing him for just £1.5 million in January 2025, highlighting the relative cost‑effectiveness of a move for Cresswell by comparison.
How does Cresswell fit into West Ham’s wider January plans?
As reported by WestHamZone in a broader January transfer window preview, Nuno Espírito Santo is planning “several key reinforcements”, with a centre‑forward identified as a priority due to Niclas Füllkrug’s expected departure and Callum Wilson’s uncertain status. Yahoo’s aggregation of Premier League transfer lines similarly states that Nuno has “prioritised securing a centre‑forward next month”, naming Wolves striker Jørgen Strand Larsen as a target as West Ham “aim to escape the relegation zone”.
Despite that attacking focus, defensive reinforcements are consistently presented as a parallel necessity, not an afterthought. WestHamWorld, echoing Hammers News’ assessments, argue that bringing in a defender of Cresswell’s “quality could be crucial in their fight to stay in the Premier League”, stressing that the club “have now shipped 32 goals in 16 Premier League matches”. In this context, Cresswell is repeatedly framed as a realistic, strategically aligned option who can arrive within budget while addressing a statistically documented weakness.
What do expert and insider voices say about Cresswell?
WestHamWorld highlight earlier praise from Gary Rowett, who previously described Cresswell as “excellent”, with the article using that endorsement to support the argument that the defender would be a strong addition for West Ham. Claret & Hugh’s report, which leans on the analytical work of The Athletic, stresses that Cresswell’s aerial numbers in Ligue 1 are those of a “dominant” defender, with his profile matching the type of player West Ham “hoped to secure in the summer — and may now finally get”.
On the fan media side, the Hammers Chat YouTube channel has also discussed Cresswell as part of a desirable younger centre‑back group for Nuno, arguing that adding a defender “in his early 20s” such as Charlie Cresswell could help re‑shape the back line for the medium term. While this commentary is opinion rather than direct club guidance, it reflects a wider consensus among observers that Cresswell, given his age, experience and data profile, fits West Ham’s immediate needs and longer‑term planning.
