Daniel Farke's Leeds United transfer ultimatum sees frustrated man face crucial weeks to decide future

Cresswell has scarcely featured for Leeds this season and more recently found himself omitted from matchday squads with Farke citing the player's mindset and a lack of focus as the deciding factor in leaving the high-potential centre-back out. Prior to Leeds' Championship encounter with Cardiff City in the Welsh capital, Farke spoke at length on the matter, explaining conversations which had taken place between the pair.

The 47-year-old has made his position clear to the England Under-21 international, quite plainly: demonstrate a desire to represent Leeds and wait patiently for a chance, or find somewhere else to play football. Cresswell's frustrations are understandable, and Farke admits as much, having last featured at the beginning of October and been left out entirely last weekend as Leeds faced Peterborough United in the FA Cup Third Round.

The Whites' 3-0 win over Posh was a missed opportunity for the 21-year-old, given injury to Pascal Struijk and Liam Cooper deemed fit enough only to make the bench. Farke intimated on Thursday that had Cresswell exhibited the mentality he seeks from each of his players, he would likely have featured at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Quite how the player and his camp received Farke's lengthy, public explanation remains to be seen but the manager insists his resolve will not flicker, so long as his interpretation of Cresswell's mentality is unchanged.

"The ball is in his court, we are totally open and honest and transparent about this," Farke told reporters. "The situation is clear, either there is a solution where there is a club that [meets] our expectations for a player full of potential and with ambition to be a leader at least on Championship level, at least in the top two or not, [or] he has to attack and also accept this role with the mindset, 'no, no I'm ready to fight.'"

Farke's words could be seen as an attempt to evoke a response from Cresswell, who is undoubtedly a valuable asset given his natural leadership qualities, physical attributes and the regard in which he is held within the England youth pathway. While not expressly stated, Farke knows a highly-motivated, 'greedy' defender of Cresswell's ability will only strengthen his options at the back and increase competition for places. It is a man-management tactic which has the potential to work for or against Leeds, though, as Farke's 'take-it-or-leave-it' may evoke an entirely different response among the sought-after Cresswell and his representatives.

"He's a great character, one of our own, he's a young player and a good player with potential. That's the reason we decided to give him the long-term contract and fulfil his wish for the shirt number because we were fully convinced of his potential. But then it's also up [to me] to make decisions who plays or not.

"It ended up with Charlie being our No. 4 centre-back and I was totally happy with this because for me to have an exciting young centre-back in this position to have the chance to improve and step-by-step bring himself into the starting XI, it is the perfect scenario. You could sense Charlie was not overly happy with this situation.

"Sometimes he was travelling with us a bit like, he's not really switched on and focused. We spoke about this situation, quite open and honest and I want my players to be open and honest, he said: 'Listen boss I totally appreciate everything and all the trust but for me it's difficult because for me I'm not happy to just be centre-back No. 4 - I want to be in the top two and I rate myself a starter here for Leeds.'"

Farke applauded the centre-back's transparency, but reiterated on three separate occasions the onus is squarely upon Cresswell to decide whether he sticks it out at Leeds or opts to force a move somewhere he is deemed an automatic starter. But, Farke's ultimatum came with a warning; Leeds will not forfeit Cresswell cheaply. While he may not be in Farke's immediate first-team plans, the boss recognises the player's monetary value.

"One thing is also for sure, we don't present him as a gift and wrap him and give him to a club that doesn't fulfil our expectations," Farke said. "We have spent so much time and energy and money in his development and education and in his contract, he's a valuable player for us - he's one of our four centre-backs for Leeds United, that has a value.

"He judges himself even in the top two [centre-back options] so there is a value," Farke added, suggesting Cresswell's own appraisal of himself may obstruct any possible desire to seek a new challenge elsewhere.

"It's not like we can give him away for free and surely if he has this value then there is a club that will reach our expectations and that's it. We spoke about this in general and will see if this happens."

With just shy of three weeks before the January transfer window closes, Cresswell's future remains pending. Given how swiftly Farke reintegrated Willy Gnonto following his apology for submitting a transfer request on the day Leeds played West Bromwich Albion at the beginning of the season, a separate conversation in which Cresswell suitably convinces Farke of his commitment to the cause, could see him involved once more.

"I won't pick him until the situation is sorted, but the ball is in his court," Farke added on Thursday.

Suffice to say, a recall to any matchday squad from this point forth would signal a shift in mentality, whether that be Cresswell's, Farke's, or both, and a resolution to the situation which presently threatens to steal away one of Thorp Arch's more accomplished graduates in recent years.