West Ham United are monitoring Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell over a possible transfer to the London Stadium, according to Florian Plettenberg.
West Ham face a major battle to avoid relegation this season, with plenty still to be done. Despite flashes of encouragement following his arrival, Nuno Espírito Santo has been unable to steer the side clear of danger, leaving the Hammers stuck in 18th place.
Defensive frailties have been a major issue, with West Ham conceding a league-high 41 goals so far. While attacking reinforcements have already arrived during the January window, strengthening the back line is now a pressing concern, with Cresswell emerging as a target.
The Lancashire-born defender developed through Leeds United’s academy before breaking into the club’s senior setup.
Since moving to Toulouse in 2024, he has made 51 appearances over the past 15 months, contributing seven goals and three assists. In this campaign, the centre-back has continued to impress, producing assured defensive displays while adding three goals and one assist in 17 outings for Le Téfécé.
Now, according to Plettenberg, West Ham are monitoring Cresswell’s performances in France ahead of a possible transfer to the London Stadium.
While Nuno’s side holds a concrete interest in the England U21 international, the German transfer expert clarifies that the Hammers have not initiated any talks or discussions with Toulouse for the 23-year-old at this time.
Cresswell to West Ham
Cresswell is contracted at the Stadium de Toulouse until June 2028, so the East Londoners will need to submit a significant offer above his £13m Transfermarkt value.
The need for West Ham to invest in a new centre-back was underlined in their 3-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers, with both Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos criticised for their displays.
The Hammers are now without a win in nine Premier League matches (D4 L5), a run that included handing Wolves their first league victory of the season. Their last winless streak in the competition came between December 2006 and March 2007, when they went 11 games without a win.
Even more alarming was West Ham’s failure to register a single shot on target in the 3–0 defeat at Molineux, marking the third time this season they have done so in the Premier League (also against Arsenal and Liverpool).
A move for a reliable centre-back is clearly needed, and Cresswell would be a solid option for their defence while also potentially being the replacement for Kilman, whose performances have significantly dropped this season.
