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Archie Gray
- Thread starter mjc23
- Start date
Lemonade Money
Les Medley
He'll turn and glide past you
He won't have to think twice
Archie Gray's white and blue
He's got Luka Modric thighs
Last edited:
markysimmo
Johnny nice-tits
On Saturday afternoon, Brentford thought they had pulled off the biggest transfer in the club’s history. Head coach Thomas Frank and technical director Lee Dykes had led a charm offensive to convince Archie Gray to join them from Leeds United — and it looked like it had worked.
Gray only made his senior debut for Leeds last August, but Brentford were prepared to pay £40million ($50.6m) for the 18 year old, which would have eclipsed the €36.5million fee they paid to sign Igor Thiago from Club Bruges in February. Gray completed a medical at their training ground in west London and it looked like they had beaten off competition from top sides across Europe for his signature
Yet, by Sunday morning, he had slipped out of their grasp and been swayed instead by the project being pitched by Tottenham Hotspur. The midfielder agreed to join Spurs on a six-year contract, bringing to an end a saga that had been rumbling on for weeks. Leeds relieved their financial concerns by banking such a significant sum of money — but waving goodbye to an academy graduate will have left a bitter taste.
This is the inside story of a manic 48 hours that saw Gray nearly join Brentford, tell Leeds to turn down their offer — and then end up at Spurs
Leeds knew they would have to sell one or two of their key players this summer. They lost the Championship play-off final 1-0 to Southampton and missed out on promotion to the Premier League — and there were financial consequences to that
Crysencio Summerville, who won the Championship’s player of the season award for 2023-24, appeared to top the list of saleable assets. Leeds’ hierarchy was also open to the departures of Illan Meslier and Willy Gnonto but accepted Gray could command a substantial fee. Gray’s contract included a £35million release clause which was active while Leeds were in the second tier.
From the moment the play-off final ended in defeat, interest in Gray began to build. There were admirers across the Premier League and elsewhere, with Borussia Dortmund also being known as a fan of the player
The problem for Leeds, when it came to potentially selling Gray, was as much his surname as it was his serious potential. Gray is a third-generation Leeds player, with his father Andy and his grandfather Frank both having played for the club. His great uncle, Eddie, is Leeds royalty, having played for, managed and coached the side over an association that began in 1965. Eddie holds an ambassadorial role and regularly attends Leeds games
Although the club were open to selling Summerville, the problem was that they did not receive any offers that matched their valuation — or that he was interested in. Leeds were under pressure to raise funds by June 30 (Sunday) to address financial concerns around profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and by the end of the week, it was clear there was no chance of Summerville being sold by the end of the accounting period. The lack of viable offers ramped up the need to sell Gray. If Summerville had left, the pressure to sell Gray might not have been so intense
Gray’s camp had been assessing their options ever since the play-off final loss because they were under the impression there was a strong chance that Leeds would be required to sell him. However, Gray made it clear throughout the process that his preference was to remain at Elland Road. At no stage did he ask to move on. By the end of this week, when it came to the crunch, the most realistic options for the England Under-21 international were a move to either Brentford or Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham’s recruitment department has been revamped over the last 12 months and is now led by technical director Johan Lange. There is a much stronger emphasis on using data to identify targets and they have been scouting for young players who are ready to make an instant impact in the first team but still have significant room for growth. Gray’s arrival continues a trend that started in the winter window with the signings of Radu Dragusin (22) and Lucas Bergvall (18).
They have Lange’s hard work to thank for getting this deal done. The Dane was in daily contact with Gray’s camp for weeks as Spurs pursued the transfer, with Daniel Levy joining him in putting in the hours to successfully get the deal over the line in recent days
Gray spent most of last season at right-back but prefers to play in midfield. Spurs see him primarily as a midfielder, although with the bonus of having that versatility in his locker. Competition for a spot in midfield will be fierce, with James Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Oliver Skipp, Yves Bissouma and Bergvall all vying for three places in the starting XI, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg expected to leave, but Gray is happy with the amount of game time that he has been assured of at Spurs
Gray’s name will be added to the list of talented young players Brentford have had near misses with over the last few years.
In the summer of 2022, they agreed a deal with Shakhtar Donetsk to sign Mykhailo Mudryk. Then the Ukrainian club increased their asking price, Brentford walked away and Mudryk joined Chelsea six months later. Last year, Brentford thought they had convinced PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko to join them. The Belgian international changed his mind after helping PSV beat Rangers to qualify for the Champions League group stages. In January, Brentford came close to prizing Antonio Nusa from Club Bruges only for issues with his medical to put them off.
For a few hours on Saturday, it looked like they had finally bucked that trend. Gray was impressed by Brentford’s presentation, which was led by Frank and Dykes. They use detailed video analysis to show exactly how prospective signings will fit into the team and talk about the pathway for individuals. Frank spoke to Gray several times over the last couple of weeks in an attempt to convince him. Gray underwent a medical and Brentford notified Leeds they were prepared to meet the release clause
Gray only made his senior debut for Leeds last August, but Brentford were prepared to pay £40million ($50.6m) for the 18 year old, which would have eclipsed the €36.5million fee they paid to sign Igor Thiago from Club Bruges in February. Gray completed a medical at their training ground in west London and it looked like they had beaten off competition from top sides across Europe for his signature
Yet, by Sunday morning, he had slipped out of their grasp and been swayed instead by the project being pitched by Tottenham Hotspur. The midfielder agreed to join Spurs on a six-year contract, bringing to an end a saga that had been rumbling on for weeks. Leeds relieved their financial concerns by banking such a significant sum of money — but waving goodbye to an academy graduate will have left a bitter taste.
This is the inside story of a manic 48 hours that saw Gray nearly join Brentford, tell Leeds to turn down their offer — and then end up at Spurs
Leeds knew they would have to sell one or two of their key players this summer. They lost the Championship play-off final 1-0 to Southampton and missed out on promotion to the Premier League — and there were financial consequences to that
Crysencio Summerville, who won the Championship’s player of the season award for 2023-24, appeared to top the list of saleable assets. Leeds’ hierarchy was also open to the departures of Illan Meslier and Willy Gnonto but accepted Gray could command a substantial fee. Gray’s contract included a £35million release clause which was active while Leeds were in the second tier.
From the moment the play-off final ended in defeat, interest in Gray began to build. There were admirers across the Premier League and elsewhere, with Borussia Dortmund also being known as a fan of the player
The problem for Leeds, when it came to potentially selling Gray, was as much his surname as it was his serious potential. Gray is a third-generation Leeds player, with his father Andy and his grandfather Frank both having played for the club. His great uncle, Eddie, is Leeds royalty, having played for, managed and coached the side over an association that began in 1965. Eddie holds an ambassadorial role and regularly attends Leeds games
Although the club were open to selling Summerville, the problem was that they did not receive any offers that matched their valuation — or that he was interested in. Leeds were under pressure to raise funds by June 30 (Sunday) to address financial concerns around profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and by the end of the week, it was clear there was no chance of Summerville being sold by the end of the accounting period. The lack of viable offers ramped up the need to sell Gray. If Summerville had left, the pressure to sell Gray might not have been so intense
Gray’s camp had been assessing their options ever since the play-off final loss because they were under the impression there was a strong chance that Leeds would be required to sell him. However, Gray made it clear throughout the process that his preference was to remain at Elland Road. At no stage did he ask to move on. By the end of this week, when it came to the crunch, the most realistic options for the England Under-21 international were a move to either Brentford or Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham’s recruitment department has been revamped over the last 12 months and is now led by technical director Johan Lange. There is a much stronger emphasis on using data to identify targets and they have been scouting for young players who are ready to make an instant impact in the first team but still have significant room for growth. Gray’s arrival continues a trend that started in the winter window with the signings of Radu Dragusin (22) and Lucas Bergvall (18).
They have Lange’s hard work to thank for getting this deal done. The Dane was in daily contact with Gray’s camp for weeks as Spurs pursued the transfer, with Daniel Levy joining him in putting in the hours to successfully get the deal over the line in recent days
Gray spent most of last season at right-back but prefers to play in midfield. Spurs see him primarily as a midfielder, although with the bonus of having that versatility in his locker. Competition for a spot in midfield will be fierce, with James Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Oliver Skipp, Yves Bissouma and Bergvall all vying for three places in the starting XI, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg expected to leave, but Gray is happy with the amount of game time that he has been assured of at Spurs
Gray’s name will be added to the list of talented young players Brentford have had near misses with over the last few years.
In the summer of 2022, they agreed a deal with Shakhtar Donetsk to sign Mykhailo Mudryk. Then the Ukrainian club increased their asking price, Brentford walked away and Mudryk joined Chelsea six months later. Last year, Brentford thought they had convinced PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko to join them. The Belgian international changed his mind after helping PSV beat Rangers to qualify for the Champions League group stages. In January, Brentford came close to prizing Antonio Nusa from Club Bruges only for issues with his medical to put them off.
For a few hours on Saturday, it looked like they had finally bucked that trend. Gray was impressed by Brentford’s presentation, which was led by Frank and Dykes. They use detailed video analysis to show exactly how prospective signings will fit into the team and talk about the pathway for individuals. Frank spoke to Gray several times over the last couple of weeks in an attempt to convince him. Gray underwent a medical and Brentford notified Leeds they were prepared to meet the release clause
markysimmo
Johnny nice-tits
Frank has relied on the same central midfield combination of Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard and Vitaly Janelt for the last four seasons. It is an area of the squad in need of an injection of fresh ideas and energy, which is why the pursuit of Gray made perfect sense.
Brentford have a track record of developing young players and helping them progress their careers to the next level, with recent examples including Aaron Hickey and Keane Lewis-Potter. Gray could have been confident about receiving lots of playing time, but by Saturday evening he was starting to have doubts.
At this point, there were further conversations with Leeds, which included chairman Paraag Marathe. Gray’s younger brother, Harry, is in the Leeds academy — another link between the Gray family and Elland Road — and it was certainly not a case of a player trying to force a move to a club playing at a higher level. Though Gray left no doubt he was happy to remain at Leeds and that option was a possibility, there was frustration among those close to Gray about how the situation was handled and the pressure it created. The deal made business sense to Leeds under the circumstances.
The midfielder woke up on Sunday morning needing to make a big decision. After his conversations with Leeds, he told them to reject Brentford’s offer. They were only able to do so because Gray did not want to move to Brentford. By mid-morning on Sunday, he was on his way to speak with Spurs in person. Conversations between his camp and Tottenham had got them to a place where both sides were happy with the terms being offered. It meant Brentford were about to lose out on a player to Spurs for the second summer in a row — Gray following Brennan Johnson to north London rather than west.
It helps that Spurs came fifth in Postecoglou’s debut season, and qualified for the Europa League. They were viewed as a bigger step up than Brentford, who finished 16th.
For Tottenham, it represents another shrewd piece of business. They are packing Postecoglou’s squad with exciting young players who could forge the spine of the starting XI for the next decade.
For Leeds, the bitter furore online after Brentford emerged as suitors on Saturday was a harsh lesson for the club’s owner, 49ers Enterprises, about the ferocity of fan sentiment at Elland Road. The deal also puts the club in a really healthy position in terms of PSR, with any further exits this summer on the club’s terms.
For some with longer memories in Yorkshire, this might still feel painfully familiar. In 2005, Leeds desperately needed cash and sold 18-year-old Aaron Lennon to Tottenham after a year in the Championship in which he gave them hope of better days ahead.
It took fifteen years for Leeds to return to the Premier League after that sale. The hope this time around is that selling one of their most highly-regarded young talents in years will ultimately aid their hopes of a quick return to the top flight.
Brentford have a track record of developing young players and helping them progress their careers to the next level, with recent examples including Aaron Hickey and Keane Lewis-Potter. Gray could have been confident about receiving lots of playing time, but by Saturday evening he was starting to have doubts.
At this point, there were further conversations with Leeds, which included chairman Paraag Marathe. Gray’s younger brother, Harry, is in the Leeds academy — another link between the Gray family and Elland Road — and it was certainly not a case of a player trying to force a move to a club playing at a higher level. Though Gray left no doubt he was happy to remain at Leeds and that option was a possibility, there was frustration among those close to Gray about how the situation was handled and the pressure it created. The deal made business sense to Leeds under the circumstances.
The midfielder woke up on Sunday morning needing to make a big decision. After his conversations with Leeds, he told them to reject Brentford’s offer. They were only able to do so because Gray did not want to move to Brentford. By mid-morning on Sunday, he was on his way to speak with Spurs in person. Conversations between his camp and Tottenham had got them to a place where both sides were happy with the terms being offered. It meant Brentford were about to lose out on a player to Spurs for the second summer in a row — Gray following Brennan Johnson to north London rather than west.
It helps that Spurs came fifth in Postecoglou’s debut season, and qualified for the Europa League. They were viewed as a bigger step up than Brentford, who finished 16th.
For Tottenham, it represents another shrewd piece of business. They are packing Postecoglou’s squad with exciting young players who could forge the spine of the starting XI for the next decade.
For Leeds, the bitter furore online after Brentford emerged as suitors on Saturday was a harsh lesson for the club’s owner, 49ers Enterprises, about the ferocity of fan sentiment at Elland Road. The deal also puts the club in a really healthy position in terms of PSR, with any further exits this summer on the club’s terms.
For some with longer memories in Yorkshire, this might still feel painfully familiar. In 2005, Leeds desperately needed cash and sold 18-year-old Aaron Lennon to Tottenham after a year in the Championship in which he gave them hope of better days ahead.
It took fifteen years for Leeds to return to the Premier League after that sale. The hope this time around is that selling one of their most highly-regarded young talents in years will ultimately aid their hopes of a quick return to the top flight.
Really like us going back to signing promising youngsters again, think it suits us much better. Should be operating more like Dortmund, RB Leipzig etc. I think the difference this time is that the youngsters are a step up in talent from the last time we tried this so the success rate should be higher.
In theory it always is a good idea, the challenge is clubs like Dortmund, Ajax, etc. who live that model simply operate in less competitive leagues, and also constantly sell (which keeps opening space for the next player)
For us, I only think it works when those young players are (almost) required for the system, i.e. I think both Poch and Ange seem to work best with players that are amazingly fit, committed to the cause and buy in to system. That seems to lend itself better to more younger players.
There is an obvious, cheaper to buy a player like Gray now, than in two years (if he continues progressing) but the balance is how do you give all these players enough development time to become that player while at the same time winning the games now (see my first point)
FatBloke
Niko Kranjcar
4th most expensive 18 year old (behind Endrick, Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr) according to this Transfermarkt article:
The most expensive 18 year olds of all time - Archie Gray ranks 4th
Archie Gray finally completed his move to the Premier League as Tottenham Hotspur announced his arrival on Tuesday morning. The 18-year-old has been on the radar of leading English clubs after being n [...]
The picture reel halfway down that article includes 19yo's too -- led by Mbappe, Felix, De Ligt...and Romeo Lavia. Gray comes in 9th on that list, three places above Kulusevski's transfer from Atalanta to Juve.
So not quite as much pressure
4th most expensive 18 year old (behind Endrick, Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr) according to this Transfermarkt article:
The most expensive 18 year olds of all time - Archie Gray ranks 4th
Archie Gray finally completed his move to the Premier League as Tottenham Hotspur announced his arrival on Tuesday morning. The 18-year-old has been on the radar of leading English clubs after being n [...]www.transfermarkt.co.uk
The picture reel halfway down that article includes 19yo's too -- led by Mbappe, Felix, De Ligt...and Romeo Lavia. Gray comes in 9th on that list, three places above Kulusevski's transfer from Atalanta to Juve.
So not quite as much pressure
I stand corrected.
Mbappe says hiiiiiiii
Gutter Boy
Tim Sherwood
Orthopedic shoes?
alekaras
The ITK of IDK
From the Athletic
Archie Gray to Tottenham: The Athletic 500 transfer ratings
By Anantaajith Raghuraman and Elias Burke
Jul 2, 2024
41
Tottenham Hotspur have signed Archie Gray from Leeds United on a six-year contract.
Our writers — experts in transfers, tactics, data and football finance — have come together to rate this summer’s senior Premier League transfers in five categories, with each aspect given a score out of 100, to reach a total score out of 500. Hence, The Athletic 500. The ratings are explained in more detail here (not all transfers will be rated as there may be a lack of data to support an analysis).
Below is our rating for this move.
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Tactical fit — 69/100
“Sometimes he is a six, sometimes he is an eight, sometimes he’s a 10. Sometimes he’s a full-back and he does all that with ease, which is not easy to do because it requires real energy and a really strong work ethic.”Ange Postecoglou said this about Pape Matar Sarr in November last year and don’t be surprised if you hear something similar when he describes Gray in the future because Spurs’ latest signing brings versatility and so much more to the table.
Last season, Gray operated as both a right-back and in various midfield roles for Leeds, playing in 47 of their 49 Championship matches (including play-offs). An excellent passer with both feet, he recorded a higher passing accuracy in the final third (85 per cent) than overall (84 per cent), while 34 per cent of his passes were forward.
As the pass solar map below shows, Gray was able to establish connections across the pitch, preferring shorter passes to help Leeds dictate the tempo.
Gray is also a decent dribbler and was successful with 51 per cent of his take-ons last season. While this is still an area of his game that requires work, he is confident in his ability to wriggle out of danger, as he does below against Birmingham City in January, taking touches with both feet to beat a presser before finding a team-mate with a reverse pass.
A key area Gray will have to improve is his ball progression, which is vital to Postecoglou’s system, where midfielders either underlap the full-backs or drop back to play in wider players. Gray averaged only 4.2 progressive passes and 1.8 progressive carries per 90 minutes last season (compared to Sarr’s 6.5 and 1.9), though a caveat here is that he often played at right-back.
Gray will also need to improve his physicality and committed a few defensive errors last season, though this should get ironed out with more experience. He already boasts the ability to win the ball without giving away too many fouls (4.9 recoveries, 2.3 tackles and 0.5 fouls committed per 90 last season), as he does below against Coventry City in April, changing direction on the fly to make an excellent recovery.
Overall, Gray looks like a valuable long-term addition for Spurs with the ability to contribute immediately as well. His age and experience playing in multiple positions means Postecoglou can mould him into a No 6, 8 or 10 based on the team’s needs.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
alekaras
The ITK of IDK
Season rating: 63/100
Rating the player over the course of last season, using statistics from The Athletic’s data team.Gray made a huge impression in his first full season as a professional last year, and it should come as no surprise he was one of England’s most in-demand young players this summer.
He made 44 appearances (40 starts) in the Championship as Leeds finished third and reached the play-off final. He played as a central midfielder and right-back under Daniel Farke and, for his excellent performances across two positions, he was named Leeds United’s young player of the season, the Championship’s apprentice of the season and the Championship’s young player of the season.
Gray is yet to score a professional goal, but both of his assists last season came from full-back, first in a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers in December and then in Leeds’ 4-0 victory against Swansea City in February.
Elias Burke
Gaming rating: 71/100
Rating the player according to Football Manager 2024’s data across both current and potential ability.According to Football Manager, Gray is not yet a starting-quality player for Tottenham, but he has the potential to be a Premier League standout and an England international.
Gray is ranked among the Premier League’s standout teenage midfielders on FM24, with a current ability rating of 119. This is comparable to Chelsea and France Under-21 international midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu (114) but significantly worse than Tottenham’s 21-year-old central midfield star Pape Matar Sarr (148).
While Gray will be involved in Ange Postecoglou’s first-team plans this season, his potential prompted Tottenham to spend big money. By Sports Interactive’s estimations, Gray has a potential range between 150 and 180. If he does not progress past his potential floor, Spurs fans can expect another player on Sarr’s current level. However, if he reaches his potential ceiling, Gray will rank in a similar tier to Rodri (180).
We gave Gray a potential ability of 165 for the gaming rating, which is in the middle of this range.
Elias Burke
Financial value rating: 63/100
A four-category summary of the player’s transfer in financial terms — and whether it makes sense for his new club.Market value — 13/25
Placed in context, a £25-30million ($32m-38m) cash outlay for a highly-rated teenager tipped to become an England international does not appear bad business. Though he is far more experienced on a club and international stage, Warren Zaire-Emery is four days older than Gray, and that fee would not get near satisfying PSG’s expectations.
Still, a deal worth around £40million (including Joe Rodon going the other way) is a significant outlay for a player with no Premier League experience and just one year of senior football under his belt.
GO DEEPER
Inside Archie Gray's move to Spurs, his exit from Leeds, and a manic 48 hours
Squad cost — 15/25
Postecoglou wanted to strengthen central midfield this summer as absences and injuries, particularly during the AFCON, hit the north London club hard around the turn of the year. Gray also provides cover at right-back, though he is a very different profile to Pedro Porro, who featured most regularly in that position last season. It does, however, mean Spurs have less money available to sign a forward, arguably their greatest transfer need ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Contract sensibility — 17/25
With a six-year deal tying his future down at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2030, Gray is set to be a Spurs player for a long time. It gives the club a strong bargaining position if a sale were to be on the cards in the coming years, but also allows him time to grow into the player Tottenham fans hope he will become. It does, however, mean Tottenham could be burdened with his salary for a long time if the move does not work out.
Resale value — 18/25
Ask any Leeds fan; Gray is a potential superstar. Spurs fans will not want to hear of a move away without even seeing him grace the pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but a long contract means Spurs will be in a strong negotiating position if a Premier League or European giant were to make a move. However, a £25-30million outlay is significant, so a club would have to offer huge money for the deal to make sense with PSR considerations.
Elias Burke
Risk or reward? 75/100
Is there a history of injury or other problems that could crop up and make this deal a bad one in retrospect? Or does the player come with a clean bill of health? Our expert takes a look.Tottenham have won big with the signing of Archie Gray.
He is one of the most promising talents in the world in his position. He is the type of press-resistant, highly technically proficient central midfield player England rarely produces. As Spurs seem to move beyond Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg under Postecoglou, there is a viable future where the current young core of central midfielders at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium run the middle of the park in Premier League matches for the next decade and beyond.
There are obvious questions regarding his experience and a lack of sample size regarding his injury record, though a clean bill of health last season is encouraging. Still, this is a huge upside signing that Spurs fans should be excited about.
Elias Burke
Overall rating: 341/500
Bullet
Colin Calderwood
It really doesn't make sense to lump together stats across the whole season, when a player has played 2 quite different positions.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
By all means look at stats when he was playing in midfield, and look at stats when he was playing right back, but not together. E.g. he doesn't pass to the right much on that chart because.... most of the time he was at right back.
Imagine if a player spends some time at right back and some time at left back (Trippier) his average position would be centre back. Or a Paul Warhurst who either played striker or centre back. These stats are really not very useful.
I think it works better when we have an organised system, in theory the coach is irrelevant. The sporting director sets the tone of the style of play and signs players to fit that mould. That way if the coach moves on the system just continues. You see that with the clubs you mentioned. Sure there's always going to be leaner years where the signings don't quite work out or the squad doesn't peak at the same time but over a long period of time those clubs see results.
Nothing wrong with being a selling club, really it's only Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, PSG, City and maybe UTD who aren't but if we can be in the mix for titles and cups most players will be happy enough to stay. Those that aren't try and sell abroad and the system can continue.
A long way to go yet but this type of approach gets me a lot more excited than how we've run things over the last few years.
Lemonade Money
Les Medley
Archie Gray: Tottenham Hotspur sign Leeds United midfielder for about £30m
Tottenham sign midfielder Archie Gray from Leeds United in a deal worth about £30m, with defender Joe Rodon moving the other way.
www.bbc.co.uk