Although Farke had told his team that no players would be going during the current transfer window, it now looks likely that one player will be leaving permanently due to a problem that is occurring behind the scenes.
Charlie Cresswell’s Dad Richard even confirmed on Instagram that the player is not happy with his lack of playing time thus far this season, prior to the FA Cup victory at Peterborough United earlier this month.
And now, as per Leeds Live, the Whites have turned down multiple permanent offers for the 21-year-old, including one from Millwall, the team he played for on loan last season.
Leeds reject multiple Cresswell offers
Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough are rumoured to be among the teams interested in 21-year-old Cresswell, who Leeds is expected to want a sum of approximately £5 million for.
Cresswell was not even on the bench against Cardiff on Saturday, which is probably a major sign that his future is elsewhere, especially in spite of injuries to Pascal Struijk and Liam Cooper.
Cresswell is a “brilliant” young defender who has grown upset at his lack of opportunities, and Farke says he will not be selecting him for the foreseeable future unless his attitude improves.
Since the end of August, Cresswell has played just one minute of football for Leeds, and at this point, it seems like it would be best for everyone if he left between now and the end of January.
While some supporters might be disappointed that Cresswell won’t ever get the opportunity to shine at Elland Road, Leeds’ financial records will show pure profit as a result.
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Daniel Farke, the manager of Leeds, succinctly described why the January transfer window is infamously tough to conduct business during, particularly for a team that is competitive and in excellent form, as Leeds are at the moment.
Although there is no evidence that Leeds is interested in any of the three clubs described above, it is representative of the conversations and choices that are taking on at other clubs Leeds may do business with. Since clubs are only permitted to make roster changes in January during the midst of the season, teams are more likely to deal players who are considered expendable as the transfer deadline draws near.
In private, Farke and the Leeds management team realise that any progress on any of their potential targets is probably going to happen in the last two weeks of the transfer window as teams are more willing to let go of players in order to create room in the squad for new players.
“Given the difficulty of this market, I have to admit that I’m a little more cautious in January,” Farke said to reporters last week. “I know the January market is tough, but there are a few areas where we are a touch understaffed.
“At the moment, the players available are either recovering from injuries or are not playing. Players who are playing regularly are not tempted to be given away. Pre-season games and friendlies take place in the summer, but in January these are either nonexistent or require exorbitant costs, which is not something we can afford. I’m always a little hesitant to talk about what we do in public because of that,” he continued.
Farke’s conviction that January will be a quiet window and the team’s well-documented struggles notwithstanding, the Whites boss is ‘cautiously hopeful’ about adding new players. Given that Leeds has lost two full-backs this month, some fans may be chewing their fingernails over the club’s lack of signings for the past 16 days, but Farke has confidence in Leeds’ recruitment process and knows that they will pursue a deal for the right player until it is completed.
“We’re working a lot behind the scenes but it’s difficult to bring quality and experienced players in. We have to be a bit more patient but we are carefully optimistic,” he added.
Supporters are hoping that Premier League teams who are unwilling to make concessions or part ways with specific players on January 1st would be more amicable by January 17th, or before the deadline of 11 p.m. on January 31st.