Thomas Frank will be considering which Tottenham Hotspur players he wants to be his regular starters, and one youngster needs to do more to increase his chances.
Tottenham are not off to the best start in the summer transfer window. While Spurs have signed Mathys Tel and also confirmed the permanent signing of Kevin Danso, recent transfer news has caused frustration.
Arsenal are trying to hijack Tottenham’s move for Eberechi Eze after weeks of rumours linking the FA Cup winner with a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This comes as Tottenham could lose out to Manchester United for Bryan Mbeumo.
However, whether they are Tottenham’s primary transfer targets or not, new players are going to be joining the club. This may not come as good news to one Spurs man, whose only role last season was to fill in for injured players.
Archie Gray must up his game in order to start for Tottenham
Gray is a talented prodigy who only recently turned 19, but his move last summer has sometimes been called into question.
One fan recently posted on X: “It’s worrying that Archie Gray can’t get into the England U21 team. I like the lad but he was never worth 40m.”
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His role at Spurs last season was largely to cover for injured players, meaning most of his appearances were as a central defender. Also, Gray is currently in Slovakia with England U21s, but he has not started in his national team’s past three matches, despite starting their first two tournament matches.
There is no doubt Gray is an excellent player, but his role at Spurs has not come close to how important he was at Leeds United. The Tottenham first-team squad ought to look stronger next season and if Gray is to break into the first-team, he needs to raise the level of his performances.
However, the fact his move to Spurs has recently received some scrutiny from more critical supporters is only a testament to how much Gray has accomplished so early in his career. To have such an impact at a top Championship club is impressive, and rubbishing his hefty transfer fee after one season is not fair on the teenage baller.
Gray is a favourite of Spurs manager Thomas Frank
Gray eventually had a part to play under Ange Postecoglou, but the former Spurs boss did not appear to trust him early in the season. It was not until Tottenham were left with only one recognised centre-back that the 19-year-old began to regularly feature in the first team. He certainly has a point to prove in order to get some minutes in his preferred position.
However, Thomas Frank is a big fan of Archie Gray and even attempted to sign him for Brentford before he made the move to North London. The England youth player may not yet have earned the approval of Lee Carsley, but the fact Frank is now in charge at Tottenham could be a real game-changer for him.
Yves Bissouma only has one year remaining on his contract and Gray is Tottenham’s other natural holding midfielder. With Frank often opting for a 4-3-3 system, this could be Gray’s chance to shine.