Tottenham favourites for Archie Gray after £40m move to Brentford collapses
Archie Gray's potential £40 million transfer from Leeds to Brentford fell through at the last minute due to the two teams not being able to come to an agreement on how the payments would be structured. This turn of events has now put Tottenham in the lead to sign the talented 18-year-old player.
Gray came to west London on Saturday, ready to have a medical examination at Brentford on Sunday after reaching an agreement on personal terms. However, he has now gone back to Yorkshire. This is positive for fans of Leeds, but it seems likely to be just temporary. It is believed that Tottenham Hotspur have expressed their interest in Gray to the officials at Elland Road.
Even though Daniel Farke, the manager of Leeds, is reluctant to part ways with his talented young midfielder or right back, he understands that the club must raise money to adhere to financial fair play rules. This is why the Leeds board took Brentford's offer of £35m upfront, with the potential to increase to £40m, very seriously.
Gray, who is the young relative of the highly respected former Leeds player and coach Eddie Gray, will not reach the age of 19 until March of next year. He played in 52 matches in various competitions last season for Farke's team, which came close to promotion to the top league but ultimately fell short in the Championship playoff final against Southampton last month. Gray has caught the attention of several clubs in Europe, with Chelsea reportedly showing interest in signing him as well.
Since he was eight years old, Gray has been a part of Leeds's academy. He has played for various England junior teams and was recognized as the Young Championship player of the season in 2023-24.
In the meantime, Newcastle has taken action to prevent any potential points deduction. They have agreed to sell their 21-year-old midfielder, Elliot Anderson, to Nottingham Forest for a deal that could reach up to £35m. Following the sale of their 19-year-old winger, Yankuba Minteh, to Brighton for £33m, Newcastle is making sure to comply with the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability rules. There is also a possibility of the former England striker, Callum Wilson, being sold to a Saudi Arabian club.
Newcastle discussed bringing Forest's backup goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos to St James' Park as part of the deal for Anderson. The 30-year-old Greek national team player is expected to join Newcastle soon, which may mean Martin Dubravka, the current second-choice goalkeeper, will leave later this summer. Vlachodimos is the starting goalkeeper for Greece and has played in 42 games for his national team. Last season, he played nine games for Forest and let in 19 goals.
Anderson, who used to lead the youth team at Newcastle, didn't want to leave his childhood club. However, he seems to have received a significant pay raise at City Ground. Although Howe was hesitant to let go of such a talented and adaptable midfielder, Anderson's upcoming departure almost guarantees that the Saudi-owned club can keep their key players this summer- including Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimarães, and Anthony Gordon.
Gordon is being sought after by Liverpool, but it seems unlikely that the English winger will be returning to his hometown of Merseyside.
