Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit urges Wrexham to beat Leeds United to signing after West Ham exit | OneFootball

The Premier League veteran is on the Red Dragons' summer watchlist.

Former West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell has been linked with a move to Wrexham this summer.

The tried-and-tested left-back is set to become a free agent when his West Ham United contract expires this summer. He's been with the Hammers for 11 years since joining for £3.75 million from Ipswich Town.

Before he played his final game for the Hammers, against the Tractor Boys - his first at Portman Road since leaving the club in 2011 - he revealed that his future was open and hadn't ruled out any options on his next move.

According to Alan Nixon, the Hollywood-backed Red Dragons want to offer Cresswell a deal, but they will face competition from Leeds United, who would reportedly like the 35-year-old to act as a squad player in their first season back in the Premier League next time out.

Wrexham are expected to compete with the three sides coming down to the Championship from the top flight - Ipswich, Leicester City and Southampton - for transfer targets this summer, as per Sky Sports, such is their financial might and pull. Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney has also been linked with the League One promotion winners.

Aaron Cresswell move is a no-brainer for Wrexham

Adding the level of experience that a Cresswell brings would be a huge boost for Wrexham in their inaugural Championship campaign, according to Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, he doesn't see why they shouldn't go after the Liverpool-born left-footer this summer.

Hendrie said: "Aaron Cresswell is 35 years of age, he comes with loads of experience.

"He was limited on what (game time) he had last season - I think it was something like 20 appearances in the Premier League. So he obviously couldn't find his way back into the side and now he's available on a free.

"For someone like Wrexham, coming into the Championship, I think it will work well because of his experience alone.

"He'd be a good addition, a good footballer, there's no doubt about that, and I feel that he could drop into the Championship and be a very good player for them.

"On a free transfer, 35, experienced, why wouldn't they take him on? I think it'd be a good signing for the Welsh side."

Wrexham's location should help with Aaron Cresswell pursuit

For most players, like Wrexham number nine Ollie Palmer, who has confirmed that he will be staying with the club beyond this summer, the Racecourse Ground isn't that close to home - rhe number nine travels from his home in London up to the town in northern Wales for matches and training.

It's not somewhere that is necessarily a prime location for a footballer, unlike the capital or even somewhere like Greater Manchester.

For Cresswell, someone who began his playing career on the Wirral with Tranmere Rovers, not far at all from the home of the Red Dragons, this might offer him a chance to get a bit closer to home at the end of his career.

They're likely to be able to offer him regular football as well - Cresswell has proved in the later stages of the Premier League season that he can still operate to a decent standard, so it's no surprise that Wrexham are taking a look.