Charlie Cresswell, a defender for Leeds United, has become a late target for Stoke City as they look to replace Harry Souttar

Charlie Cresswell, a defender for Leeds United, has become a late target for Stoke City as they look to replace Harry Souttar, who is leaving for Leicester City. It has been reported by The Athletic that Stoke is planning a desperate gambit in an attempt to pry Cresswell away from Elland Road.

The Premier League club Leicester City and Stoke City have reached an agreement on the transfer of star defender Harry Souttar. The transaction is reportedly worth up to £20 million to Stoke.

That’s a huge void in the middle of the Stoke defence, and it’s easy to see why Alex Neil is eager to bring in a replacement. The Potters are considering a late bid for Cresswell, a talented player for Leeds.

If a deal is reached, Stoke may acquire Cresswell from their Championship opponents Millwall, who currently have him on loan. Since it’s doubtful that Millwall’s loan to Souttar would be terminated for another loan, Stoke may attempt to throw some of that Souttar cash at Leeds to try to finalize a permanent deal.

Recently, Leeds United has been accumulating a number of promising young players. The catch is that they’ll require regular playing time with the first team eventually, and Leeds has struggled to strike a good balance between that and keeping its playoff chances alive.

Cody Drameh and Joe Gelhardt, both of Leeds, have recently gone out on loan to play for other first-team clubs. Cresswell is just 20, but he has been getting plenty of playing time at Millwall, causing manager Gary Rowett to gush about his “fantastic potential.” He has to wonder whether he will get that back at Leeds.

Cresswell might be a good fit for the Whites as they begin to plan for a future without Liam Cooper. But with Diogo Monteiro, another talented central defender, being signed, Cresswell may decide to depart at this time.

If Cresswell continues to perform well at Stoke, he may be able to get a contract with another Premier League team. Cresswell has a tough decision, but time is of the essence as the deadline rapidly approaches.