Leeds United’s firesale has continued on Monday with the confirmation of another permanent sale, prompting reaction from both Archie Gray and Jack Clarke on Instagram.
This summer, Leeds have gone about their business by offloading unneeded fringe players as well as the one big-name sale of Gray to Tottenham. A £40m deal that the club needed to do to balance the books.
So, out goes Gray as well as Marc Roca and Kristoffer Klaesson as permanent sales. Sam Greenwood, Jack Harrison and Sonny Perkins loaned to Preston North End, Everton and Leyton Orient on loan respectively.
Liam Cooper, Ian Poveda, Cody Drameh and others are now free agents while Jamie Shackleton has left on a free for Sheffield United. On Monday, Leeds confirmed the sale of a Thorp Arch academy product.
Charlie Cresswell completes permanent move to Toulouse
The weekend before Leeds’ pre-season return saw Cresswell fly to France to do a deal with the Ligue 1 side. Personal terms could not be agreed, and the England U21 man was seen in Leeds’ training video.
He was even spotted doing the bleep test at Thorp Arch. But, reports emerged towards the end of last week that Cresswell’s move to Toulouse was back on and on Monday, Leeds confirmed a permanent exit.
It is reported that Cresswell has joined Toulouse, a side that featured in last season’s Europa League, have paid £3.8m to sign the centre-back. He posted a touching message to Leeds and the club’s supporters.
Gray and Clarke among those to react to Cresswell’s exit
Rewind a year, and Cresswell looked as though he might benefit from the club’s relegation. Returning after a loan at Millwall, Cresswell was handed the no.5 shirt and even signed a new long-term Leeds deal.
But he struggled to get any game time after the signing of Joe Rodon and the form of Pascal Struijk. The latter got injured, but Ethan Ampadu dropped into defence rather than Cresswell getting his chance.
Farke and Cresswell clashed during the winter period and now, Cresswell has left the club for pastures new in France. Gray, who has also left and Sunderland star Clarke, both responded on his Instagram.
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