Glasgow Rangers secured a solid 3-1 victory in their final Scottish Premiership match before the winter break, and it means Philippe Clement has lost just once in his opening 18 matches since taking over in mid-October.
While the defeat to Celtic at the end of 2023 was not the best way to end the year, the fact that the club won the League Cup and qualified for the Europa League knockout stages as group winners signifies major progress.
The Belgian coach now has a couple of weeks to regroup before the next domestic fixture, which takes place in two weeks, and he will take his squad to a mid-season training camp in Spain.
With the January transfer window now in full swing, his imminent focus will be on further bolstering his first team ahead of the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
Having already signed Fabio Silva on a loan deal until the end of the season, could the 49-year-old coach perhaps be targeting a defender as his next signing?
Rangers transfer news – Charlie Cresswell
During the summer transfer window, previous Ibrox boss Michael Beale was looking to strengthen his backline and this led to various links to defenders across the continent.
One name that was mentioned more than once was that of Charlie Cresswell. According to Football League World, the Gers had a bid turned down for the Leeds United centre-back in June.
As the summer window rolled on, more and more defenders were linked with a move to Scotland, yet another bid for Cresswell didn’t materialise, and it looked as though the boat had sailed, especially as he signed a contract extension last August until 2027.
It looks as though the Light Blues could be back in for the defender, with pundit Carlton Palmer claiming the Gers are one of the clubs eyeing up a possible move for him in January.
Talking to Football League World, he said: “Daniel Farke has repeatedly said Leeds won’t allow Charlie Cresswell to go out on loan.
“There is plenty of interest for Charlie.
“Boro, Stoke, Ipswich, Rangers to name a few.”
With Leeds in a promotion battle, however, they may wish to keep him for the remainder of the campaign, yet he has played just four Championship matches thus far during 2023/24.
At 21 years old, Cresswell certainly fits the profile of players Clement is looking to try and bring to Ibrox. Combine this with his experience of working with some excellent young talent in his previous roles and a move for the defender could work out rather well.
Charlie Cresswell could be Clement’s next Axel Disasi
During managerial roles at Club Brugge and AS Monaco, the Belgian manager unearthed players who have moved on to bigger and brighter things.
The likes of Charles De Ketelaere, Leandro Trossard, Youssouf Fofana, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Benoit Badiashile all featured under Clement during his spells at these respective clubs, and they have all turned into wonderful players in Europe's major leagues.
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Atalanta
Arsenal
Monaco
Chelsea
Axel Disasi was also another youngster who shone under Clement, and he sealed a move to Chelsea last year, having played 129 times for Monaco.
Both Disasi and Cresswell are of similar stature, while their strength mainly lies within the physical nature of the game, winning one one-on-one battles regularly while proving to be immovable objects in front of the goalkeeper.
Indeed, this season, the former Monaco centre-back has won an impressive 2.4 aerial duels per game – a success rate of 68% – while also being dribbled past on just 0.2 occasions per game, certainly showcasing his physicality.
The 25-year-old has taken a few months to settle into the Premier League but has proven that he could be a mainstay in the Chelsea side over the next couple of years.
Cresswell echoes some similarities to the five-cap French international and joining Rangers this month could see his development continue.
Charlie Cresswell’s career statistics
The 21-year-old made his debut for Leeds during the 2020/21 campaign before going on to play five times in the Premier League during the following season as he was eased into the senior squad.
Cresswell was even hailed as “unbelievable” by Leeds presenter Joe Wainman in 2022 and, despite making a solid impression in the first team, he was allowed to join Millwall on a season-long loan deal ahead of 2022/23.
He shone for the Lions in the Championship, making 28 appearances while chipping in with five goals, and it was clear that he was far too good for a midtable side in the second tier.
Indeed, among the Millwall squad, Cresswell ended the season by ranking second for overall Sofascore rating (7.13), along with ranking second for accurate passes (28.1), third for interceptions (1.3) and second for clearances (3.1) per game in the second tier last term.
Not only that, but the youngster also won 5.2 aerial duels per game – a success rate of 61% – and was only dribbled past on 0.5 occasions per game, with these statistics similar to those that Disasi has displayed for Chelsea during the current season.
Judging by the fact he has only featured four times in the Championship so far this season, manager Daniel Farke does not look like he sees him as a key member of the senior squad going forward.
With this in mind, plus the current interest from the Glasgow side, Cresswell has a big decision to make in January with regard to his future.
A loan move may be the only option on the table at this moment in time, yet things could change during the summer transfer window, especially if Leeds gain promotion and decide to cash in.
Clement has plenty of experience managing players who have shown plenty of potential at a young age before going on to flourish elsewhere, taking Tchouameni and Disasi as prime examples.
Rangers now offered chance to sign "creative" new player for Clement
The Gers could welcome another Premier League player…
ByTom CunninghamJan 4, 2024
While Cresswell is not at the level of Disasi yet, there is no doubting how good he could turn out, especially if given regular gametime in a league like the Premiership.
With trophies to be won and European football to be played during the second half of the season, joining Rangers could give the Leeds defender a new lease of life and perhaps a more permanent arrangement could be worked out in the summer for the 6 foot starlet.