Fulham and Crystal Palace battle over Toulouse defender as Premier League clubs keep spending big

Two Premier League clubs are locked in a bidding war for a defender who cost €4.5 million just two years ago and now carries a price tag north of €25 million. Fulham and Crystal Palace have both entered direct negotiations with French club Toulouse FC over English centre-back Charlie Cresswell, 23, as the summer transfer window heats up. The deal, if completed, would represent roughly a 5.5x return for Toulouse on a player they acquired from Leeds United in July 2024. The deal on the table Toulouse isn’t exactly desperate to sell. Cresswell is under contract until 2028, which gives the French club significant leverage in negotiations. They’ve set an asking price of around €25 million, roughly £25 million at current exchange rates. That number isn’t arbitrary. Toulouse previously rejected a €24 million bid from Brighton and turned down €25 million from Wolfsburg back in January 2026. So the club has demonstrated it’s willing to hold firm. Fulham’s interest appears driven by a specific gap in their squad. The club is reportedly looking to replace defender Issa Diop. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, views Cresswell as a potential successor to Maxence Lacroix, who has been linked with a depa...