Tottenham appear to have dealt a summer transfer blow to both Liverpool and Brentford after agreeing a fee for Leeds youngster Archie Gray. The highly rated 18-year-old is expected to sign a long-term deal with the north London club, having excelled in the Championship last season and playing 52 matches in all competitions.
The fee is reportedly in the region of £40million, with the England Under-21 player having proven to be adept in both central midfield and at right back.
Gray, great-nephew of Leeds legend Eddie, had been heavily linked with a move to Brentford, with Daniel Levy seemingly scuppering his club’s Premier League rivals at the 11th hour.
The 18-year-old even begun the process of a medical with the Bees, but they seemingly could not come to an agreement with Leeds over the structure of their bid. And the development is now set to have a knock-on effect for new Liverpool boss Arne Slot.
The Merseyside side club have been expected to move for another Leeds star in Crysencio Summerville, who top scored for the club with 21 goals last season. And he was duly named the Championship Player of the Season at the 2024 EFL Awards.
But the impending sale of Gray will ease concerns over profit and sustainability rules, with the fee set to ensure the club are compliant with regulations. Therefore the pressure is off to make big money sales during the summer transfer window.
It also means that manager Daniel Farke is likely to try and block the departure of another key man, as he bids to bounce back from missing out on promotion last season. Leeds were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the play-off final in May, but will be expected to challenge strongly to go up again in 2024/25.
The Dutch Under-21 international is well known at Anfield, having scored a dramatic late winner when Leeds won there in October 2022. He previously spent two years at Feyenoord, but left for England in 2020, a year before Slot took over.
The 45-year-old is still waiting to make his first summer signing since replacing Jurgen Klopp. And with Luis Diaz heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, Summerville could be viewed as an ideal replacement.
He has two years left on his current deal, and ahead of the play-offs last season publicly voiced his desire to help Leeds again challenge the elite. “We have a lot of potential here,” he said.
“To play in the Champions League would be great, it would be massive. Of course, we can do that at Leeds. If you believe, you can achieve everything.
