Charlie Cresswell takes transfer 'risk' as academy graduate discusses £3.8m Leeds United exit

Charlie Cresswell is preparing to step out of his comfort zone after swapping Leeds United for Toulouse. The centre-back completed his £3.8m move to the Ligue 1 side on Monday afternoon, ending his long association with the West Yorkshire club.

The deal initially broke down last week over personal terms but was resurrected over the weekend. Toulouse finished 11th in the French top flight last term.

Cresswell struggled to make an impact under Daniel Farke, making just seven appearances. Despite penning a new long term deal at Elland Road last summer and being handed the no 5 jersey, Cresswell found himself behind Pascal Struijk, Joe Rodon, Liam Cooper and Ethan Ampadu in the pecking order for a starting spot.

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Toulouse and a number of Championship clubs were thwarted in their attempts to sign Cresswell during the January transfer window. United resisted the temptation to send Cresswell out on loan and slapped a £5m valuation on him. The defender questioned his lack of involvement with Farke midway through the season while the United chief raised concerns over the player's attitude.

In an interview with Toulouse's website, Cresswell said: "I felt wanted by the club, which had really pushed to sign me. They gave me belief that I can become an important part of the project here. It's a very ambitious club, which really excites me.

"It's a risk to quit the Championship but I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone. There aren't a lot of English players that leave to play abroad but I wanted to test myself and improve all areas of my game. It's a real challenge but it's exciting."

The England Under-21 international played a grand total of 14 times for his hometown club.