Tottenham Hotspur starlet Archie Gray may be forced to cut his north London career short after Thomas Frank refused to use him once again during the win over Leeds United.
The teenager made the move to north London last summer in a deal worth around £40m, turning down Brentford in the process. Frank, who as at Brentford at the time, is known to be a huge fan of the midfielder, but he has so far failed to show it during his time in charge of the Lilywhites.
It wasn't more clear than Saturday afternoon's trip to Elland Road. In a hard-fought battle, Frank opted against using the man who knows the Yorkshire club better than most, with Gray once again glued to the substitutes' bench.
Gray May Need to Force January Move
There is absolutely no doubting the quality and skill that Gray possesses. As a midfielder, he has a great engine, isn't scared to get stuck in and his ability on the ball is second to none. There is nothing that he can't do, and it's clear as day why the club decided to splash the cash to bring him.
He's also capable of playing as a right-back, providing cover for the excellent Pedro Porro, with Djed Spence viewed primarily as a left-back nowadays, while Ange Postecoglou even used him as a centre-back to great effect at points last season during their injury crisis.
While his versatility could be seen to be a positive trait, it could also be effecting him negatively at Tottenham. There is so much competition for places and quality in the team, that without pinning down a role, others are overtaking him in the pecking order.
Lucas Bergvall has come on leaps and bounds in midfield since joining in the same summer period, while Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Xavi Simons all have more specialist positions that means they can't be shifted around too much.
Despite being able to play in several positions, Frank continues to leave Gray, who has been described as "phenomenal", out of teams and not feature him at all. So far this season, with seven games played, Gray has mustered 72 minutes of action in the Premier League, appearing as a starter in one game and as a substitute in another, while he has featured for just eight minutes in the Champions League.
If Frank isn't going to start using him, then Gray may need to force himself a move in the January transfer window to start playing again, but also to ensure that his development doesn't stall. Some were tipping him for a surprise spot in the World Cup squad before this season started, and now he's not even a consideration.
While Tottenham are winning games and performing well, there is no reason for Frank to change things. But Gray needs to make himself undeniable again, and the best way to do that is by playing games, whether that's at Spurs or somewhere else.