West Ham transfer target Charlie Cresswell says he was aware of interest from other clubs in the summer, but he “didn’t need any convincing to stay” at his current team Toulouse.

It was reported last month that the Hammers had tabled a loan offer with a £13m option to buy, but Cresswell claims he wasn’t phased by the transfer speculation:

“It’s the life of a footballer during the transfer window. I heard about these interests, which came from several places in Europe. I tried not to pay too much attention to it, and to stay focused on what I’m doing here in Toulouse, training hard, giving my all. In the end, I’m still here and that’s great. This club gave me an opportunity to prove my worth last season so, as long as I play for TFC, I will do it 100 per cent.”

“I don’t want to go into the details of what happened during the transfer window. But I can tell you that I didn’t need any convincing to stay.”

“I had a great season, I met great people, both at the club and outside. Last season, I felt that I was improving every week, until the summer and this European Under-21 title with England, which was one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

Toulouse were holding out for more money

It is believed that the Ligue One side were keen on getting around €20m (£17m) for Cresswell. The fact that West Ham had made a loan bid with a purchase clause below that figure meant it wasn’t a particularly attractive proposal.

Sunderland were also believed to be keen on the England Under-21 international, but neither Premier League side ended up getting their man.

West Ham signed another centre-back instead

After the Irons sold Nayef Aguerd to Marseille, they were keen to reinforce their options at the back before the transfer window closed.

They eventually managed to secure the signature of Brighton’s Igor Julio on loan after an attempt to sign Chelsea’s Axel Disasi fell through.

Read more about the West Ham First Team Squad for 2025/26 here