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Pending Leeds United bid spells trouble for player previously heralded for key role – View

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Leeds United look to be continuing their long-term investment in the centre of defence with a bid to sign Diogo Monteiro from Servette, which could be detrimental to Charlie Cresswell’s future.

Leeds have done well to secure a lot of loan moves for players that weren’t going to get regular playing time in the Premier League this season, with a lot of the attention being on Charlie Cresswell’s move away.

The centre-back joined Millwall in the summer window, on loan for the 2022/23 campaign, knowing a good spell would put him in a good place to fight for a spot upon his return at the end of the season.

Such is the defender’s potential that the beginning of his loan spell saw this insight from The Athletic’s Phil Hay:

“Cresswell is different. Leeds see him as the future at centre-back, provided his development goes to plan, and decided over the summer that a year in the Championship would harden him nicely, if not complete his apprenticeship for the Premier League.”

The loan hasn’t really gone to plan, with Gary Rowett taking Cresswell out of the firing line plenty of times following a shift to a back four, leading to reports that a recall could be on the cards this month, as other EFL rivals to the Lions express their interest in the England under-21 international.

Meanwhile, Leeds are looking to bolster their own ranks with a youth international centre-back, in the shape of Servette’s 17-year-old Diogo Monteiro, currently plying his trade in the Swiss Super League – per Phil Hay.

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Leo Hjelde will be optimistic that his start to life at Rotherham United – a 4-0 home win against promotion-chasing Blackburn – is a sign of things to come for him, a player who definitely is destined for a key role at Leeds beyond this campaign.

For Cresswell, the fact that Leeds are plotting to sign a right-footed (and very highly-rated) centre-back now would suggest that the club might not be as dead-set on him being the player they backed to shine at the start of the season.

Permanent bids are likely to be fielded by the club – according to reports from the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth – and this move to bring in Monteiro might be a further suggestion of Leeds’ willingness to cash in on Cresswell.

His loan is yet to be terminated at the New Den, but things aren’t looking promising of a revival with Rowett unwilling to shift from his trusty centre-back pairing of Shaun Hutchinson and Jake Cooper.

Should Leeds sell Cresswell?

Yes

Yes

No

No

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Leeds United season ticket holder since 2013/14, currently situated in the middle of the FA5 noise. From Pablo Hernandez to 5-1 drubbings, I've seen it all at Elland Road.