Leeds United now look highly likely to lose Archie Gray this summer, with reports that Tottenham Hotspur are ready to hijack a deal from Brentford, according to David Ornstein.
Gray, who has already played 54 times for the Yorkshire based club despite only turning 18 in March, was one of the hottest prospects in the Championship last season, as he helped Daniel Farke’s side to the play-off final.
However, with narrow defeat to Southampton at Wembley in May it ignited a frenzy of transfer rumours surrounding the Leeds midfielder and several Premier League clubs have been circling since.
On Saturday (June 29th) it seemed Brentford were going to pull off a shock deal for the England U21 international, with David Ornstein revealing he had agreed terms to join the West London club for a fee of around £35 million.
Then on Sunday (June 30th) David Ornstein revealed that Brentford’s bid had been officially rejected by Leeds and that Tottenham were now working on a deal to secure the 18-year-old’s signature this summer. Gray is said to be leaning towards joining Spurs if he is to leave his boyhood club in this window.
Despite his youth, Gray has already been trusted to play in a variety of positions by Daniel Farke, something that could suit Ange Postecoglou’s demanding system at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He has been deployed mainly as a midfielder during his first season as a professional but also at right back, again something that could suit a move to Spurs with their emphasis on inverted wingbacks.
Although there is an expectation from both sides that an agreement can be reached, it is reported a deal is not yet finalised for Gray to join the North London club so there may well be further twists and turns to come.
Writer’s View
Leeds United would have been desperate to hold on to what is their brightest academy starlet since Kalvin Phillips, but with a failure to get promoted it seems a matter of when Archie Gray leaves, not if. They will however hold out for the biggest fee possible and with a top six club such as Tottenham at the negotiating table, a larger fee could well be in the offing.
For Archie Gray himself, it is a shame that at such a young age he already feels the need to move on from a club he has been at since he was a child, and that runs through his blood with father, grandfather and great uncle all being former Leeds players. Despite that, Gray is set for a hugely successful career if the stars align and his talent is certainly already Premier League level. And with the additional draw of minutes in the Europa League with Tottenham, Daniel Levy may well hold all the right cards to get this deal over the line.