Glasgow Rangers have seen a bid rejected for defender Charlie Cresswell.
It appears that Teddy Bears manager Michael Beale will be looking to recruit from south of the border heading into the rest of the summer transfer window as he looks to bolster his squad at Ibrox.
Rangers transfer news – is Charlie Cresswell joining the Gers?
According to Football League World, Rangers have seen an undisclosed offer rebuffed for the Leeds United gem.
It comes as little surprise that the bid has been rejected, given how much Cresswell impressed on loan in the Championship last season.
The 20-year-old's performances have warranted Rangers' interest, but also a chance to finally have a place in Leeds' first team in the coming season.
Given the fact that the Gers have already welcomed a number of players from the Championship this summer, it wouldn't come as a shock to see Beale continue his pursuit of Cresswell, though it remains to be seen how much the west Yorkshire outfit will ask for, with CIES Football Observatory currently estimating his value to be in the region of €5m (£4m).
What role would Charlie Cresswell have at Rangers?
Cresswell has the ability to step straight into Beale's plans at Rangers if he did end up completing a move to Scotland this summer. Next to the experience of Scottish Premiership-winning defender Connor Goldson, the Leeds youngster would only improve even more.
Last season at Millwall, Cresswell was part of a side unfortunate to miss out on a place in the play-offs, having made 28 appearances in the league, surprisingly finding the back of the net on five occasions.
His goal-scoring ability last season is a particularly interesting one, especially when thinking about Rangers.
Goals from the backline are certainly welcomed at Ibrox, that's for sure.
James Tavernier found the back of the net a stunning 18 times in all competitions from right-back last season. Meanwhile, Goldson was involved in six goals throughout the season. So, the 6 foot 3 titan would certainly fit the part.
Defensively speaking, Cresswell actually outperformed Goldson in some aspects last season.
According to Squawka, whilst on loan at Millwall, Cresswell made more clearances, blocks, tackles, and interceptions throughout the 2022/23 campaign when compared to the Rangers centre-back.
Goldson, meanwhile, outperformed Cresswell on the ball when it came to passing accuracy, which bodes well when seeking balance in a potential defensive partnership.
The stats suggest that, whilst Goldson is more assured on the ball, Cresswell is willing and able to complete the so-called dirty work such as tackles, blocks and interceptions – creating the perfect partnership.
The defender has certainly impressed those at Leeds United, too – speaking to Football Insider back in 2021, former Whites striker Noel Whelan said:
"There’s no ignoring him after that performance and how good he was.
“The applause from the fans, people inside the club, ex-professionals I work with, they were just staggered at how good he was on that day with everything he put on that field.
“He was immense, he was like a veteran on the day, rather than a young boy stepping in.
“Everything about his game I loved. The physicality and the way he dominated at times.”
It looks more and more clear that if Rangers can land Cresswell this summer, they have themselves a player for both the present and the future, with a perfect partnership on the cards with Goldson.