Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke was backed by the board throughout the summer transfer window following the club's relegation to the Championship.
Who did Leeds sign in the summer?
The Whites were able to snap up nine new recruits to bolster their playing squad with the view to competing for an automatic return to the Premier League this season.
Joe Rodon
Loan
Jaidon Anthony
Loan
Djed Spence
Loan
Ilia Gruev
Permanent
Joel Piroe
Permanent
Sam Byram
Permanent
Ethan Ampadu
Permanent
Glen Kamara
Permanent
Karl Darlow
Permanent
Farke has attempted to improve his side with six permanent signings and three loan deals to counter the likes of Tyler Adams, Marc Roca, Rodrigo, Max Wober, and Luis Sinisterra, among others, all moving on over the summer.
However, the German's team has also been added to by the players who were out on loan during the 2022/23 campaign returning to Elland Road; including Joe Gelhardt and Charlie Cresswell.
How much was Charlie Cresswell worth in 2022?
The England U21 international spent last season on loan with Millwall in the Championship where Football Transfers placed his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at just €2.1m (£1.8m) by the end of December 2022, the halfway point of his time at the Den.
Cresswell, whose heading ability was lauded as "powerful" by journalist Josh Bunting, ultimately ended up having a sublime year with the Lions as he produced consistently impressive performances at the heart of the defence and proved himself to be an excellent option at that level.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 28 Championship outings and caught the eye with 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match to go along with a duel success rate of 60%, which shows that the towering stopper won the majority of his battles and dominated opposition forwards.
The 21-year-old also provided an attacking threat with four goals and two assists for Gary Rowett's side, which shows that he can offer a threat from set-pieces as well as being a strong defender within his own box.
How much is Charlie Cresswell worth now?
At the time of writing, Cresswell has an xTV of €8.3m (£7.1m), as per FootballTransfers, which represents a staggering 295% increase on his valuation at the end of 2022.
This shows that the English defender's value has soared throughout 2023 so far and that Leeds have an excellent asset on their hands as his superb performances on the pitch have made him a valuable player for the club to have within the squad.
At the age of 21, the 6 foot 3 brute still has plenty of time on his side to continue his development and should he progress well, he could be Farke's next version of England international Ben Godfrey.
During their time together at Norwich, the German head coach was able to turn the central defender from an academy prospect into a Championship title-winner and a mega-money sale within the space of two years.
How much was Godfrey worth at Norwich?
At the start of the 2018/19 campaign, the central defender had an xTV of only €0.7m (£0.6m) after spending the previous year on loan at Shrewsbury Town in League One.
Farke, however, wasn't deterred by his youth and inexperience. Indeed, he placed his trust in the young defender ahead of experienced options like Grant Hanley and Timm Klose as the talented youngster ended up making 31 Championship appearances that season as Norwich won the league title and earned promotion to the Premier League.
Godfrey averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 over those games, which included 26 starts, and made 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a duel success rate of 57%.
The former York prospect also showcased his ability to provide an attacking threat from centre-back with four goals and two assists for the Canaries.
The German head coach continued to trust Godfrey during their 2019/20 top-flight campaign as the English titan started 30 Premier League games, which earned him a big-money move to Everton.
Norwich reportedly raked in a significant transfer fee of £25m from the Toffees for the central defender. This is a significant improvement on the £600k he was valued at just two years prior to the move taking place and shows how much of an impact having a coach who believes in offering academy players a chance can have.
How good is Charlie Cresswell?
The current Leeds centre-back is a player who certainly has the potential to follow in Godfrey's footsteps, based on his impressive form for Millwall.
As shown in the aforementioned statistics, the Lions loanee averaged a higher Sofascore rating, made more defensive interventions per match, and won a higher percentage of his physical contests than the ex-Norwich defender did at that level for Farke.
The 21-year-old has already shown glimpses of being able to replicate that form for Leeds this season, none more so than during his excellent display against Birmingham.
Despite the team losing the match 1-0, Cresswell caught the eye with a strong performance at the heart of the defence. As per Sofascore, he made four clearances, two blocks, two interceptions, and one tackle.
He also won eight of his 11 duels, including six of his seven aerial contests, and was rewarded with a fantastic Sofascore rating of 7.2, the highest on the pitch for the Whites.
What does the future hold for Cresswell?
The more experienced Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk started ahead of him during the recent 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.
However, Godfrey was in a similar position with Hanley, Klose, and Christoph Zimmermann ahead of him at the start of the 2018/19 season for Norwich before eventually breaking into the starting XI and making himself a regular starter as part of their promotion-winning side.
Cresswell, shown in the video above, must now be patient and wait for his opportunity to nail down a place in Farke's XI. The German boss has already proven himself to be willing to back young players, as evidenced by Godfrey as well as Archie Gray's emergence as a starter so far this season.
The former Millwall star's superb statistics last term and his soaring market value suggest that he is a talented prospect who is on his way up in the game, meaning that he could be a sublime future asset who may make the club millions in the same way that the now-Everton defender did under Farke's management.