Yorkshire Evening Post

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Former Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray says he is 'happy to play wherever' Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou sees fit for him after making his maiden friendly outing at centre-back.

The 18-year-old was interviewed by Spurs' in-house TV channel after the team's 5-1 friendly win over Scottish side Heart of Midlothian earlier this week, where he deputised in central defence.

During the post-match briefing, Gray spoke maturely and recalled last summer's pre-season friendly at Tynecastle with Leeds, at which point he was yet to make his professional debut.

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He would go on to appear more than 50 times for United as the club narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League and subsequently moved to North London in a £40 million transfer earlier this month.

"Another good feel of playing the football and ultimately getting the minutes in the legs," Gray said. "They're a good team, we came up [with Leeds] last year and it's a really good stadium and it's an enjoyable game - but mostly really important to just, like I said, get the minutes in the legs.

"Obviously I wasn't expecting to play centre-back but honestly I'm just really grateful for the opportunity to play and learn different positions," the teenager added, reflecting on the new role he was asked to carry out by Australian boss Postecoglou.

"I said this last year in an interview - I don't really care where I play, I'm 18 years-old and I need to learn the game."

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Gray has joined a stacked Spurs squad brimming with talent, especially at the top of the pitch, and will face a battle to play regular minutes throughout 2024/25, even if frequent appearances in European competition is likely due to the need to juggle Europa League football and Premier League engagements.

"I feel a little bit lucky to be watching the front players that we've got. The attack [has] so many good players," Gray added, before correcting himself. "I wouldn't say lucky, I've worked hard and but I'm just grateful for the opportunity to play in this team and I'm excited for the next few games."

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Leeds United are thought to be interested in the midfielder who has played under Daniel Farke previously.

Leeds United-linked midfielder Oliver Skipp has emerged as a potential target for Leicester City, with reports suggesting Tottenham Hotspur would be receptive to interest in their academy graduate.

Skipp has been linked with a move to Elland Road this summer, with the Athletic labelling him a ‘player of interest’ as Daniel Farke looks to bolster his midfield options. The 23-year-old played under Farke during his sole loan spell away from Tottenham, helping Norwich City to the 2020/21 Championship title.

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Despite spending much of last season on the substitutes bench, Skipp did feature 24 times across all competitions and was an important squad player under Ange Postecoglou. But Football Insider reports that the midfielder could be allowed to leave this summer, although there is Premier League interest.

Leicester are in the market for midfield reinforcements, having sold talisman Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea for £30million, with new manager Steve Cooper keen on signing proven Premier League talent that can bed into the squad instantly. The Foxes are said to be ‘plotting a move’ for Skipp, who fits the bill with 77 top-flight appearances to his name.

It remains to be seen whether Leeds will actually make a move for Skipp, with little in the way of progress since his name was first mentioned earlier this summer. The club have held extensive talks with Tottenham over the past month which centred around the £40m move of Archie Gray to North London, with Joe Rodon coming the other way in a separate deal worth £10m, following a successful loan spell.

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Leeds are expected to enter the market for midfield reinforcements again, having confirmed on Tuesday evening that Glen Kamara would join Stade Rennais. The Finland international was in plans for the upcoming season and despite welcoming Joe Rothwell on loan from Bournemouth last week, Farke remains a little light in the middle of the park.

The German has made no secret of his admiration for Skipp in the past, having used him regularly in the heart of his title-winning Norwich squad. Only Max Aarons played more league minutes than the midfielder during that campaign and Farke waxed lyrical about his on-loan star at the time.

“He was one of my biggest wishes to bring in last summer, so compliments to [sporting director] Stuart Webber for making it happen,” Farke said of Skipp mid-way through Norwich’s title-winning campaign . “I can only praise Olly and Tottenham. This was perfect business. The best piece of business is always a permanent move, when you are fully convinced and you commit the club’s future to a player, and they do likewise.

“When you bring young players from the best clubs in the world there is always a risk. We saw the potential, we looked into his character a lot and we knew he would be fully convinced to give everything, not thinking I don’t need to work to prove I am the best in my position. Oliver is a perfect lad. So humble. He is a brilliant loan signing."

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Focus at the moment looks to be more on the defensive side of things, with Sheffield United rejecting two bids - both in the region of £4m - for right-bak Jayden Bogle. The Blades are thought to want closer to £7m for the 23-year-old.

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Leeds United winger Dan James says losing teenage midfielder Archie Gray to Tottenham Hotspur this summer was 'gutting' but retaining the services of fellow Welsh international Joe Rodon helped to soften the blow.

The 26-year-old spoke to Leeds' in-house channel LUTV following the commencement of this summer's pre-season schedule at Thorp Arch reflecting on the £40 million transfer which saw Gray join Spurs earlier this month.

In a separate move which was concluded at the same time, Rodon returned to Elland Road for £10 million and has signed a long-term contract which runs until the summer of 2028.

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James' own deal has two years left to run but could be in line for an extension if Leeds are promoted back to the Premier League at the end of this season. He scored 13 times for the Whites last term and is expected to play a prominent role in the team's 2024/25 campaign having initially joined the club in the summer of 2021 for a reported £25 million from Manchester United.

Speaking to LUTV, James said: "I think it's great we've signed Joe very, very early in the window.

"I think a lot of people, fans especially, would have been gutted if we didn't keep Joe. Obviously it's gutting to see Archie go but we wish him all the best.

"He [Rodon] was a massive part of our team last year, we had a great defensive record and he was a massive part to do with that. So to get him in, it's such a positive signing for us."

Leeds United completed their first loan signing of the summer last week as they secured the addition of Joe Rothwell from Bournemouth. The midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at Southampton and the hope is that he will be able to help the Whites over the line at the second time of asking this time around.

Rothwell isn’t expected to be the last loan signing Leeds make this summer, though, with the club looking to add a number of fresh faces to Daniel Farke’s squad. The Whites might not be able to spend the money they would like this summer and loan signings offer a cost-effective way of adding quality to the squad.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at 15 Premier League players who Leeds could feasibly sign on loan this summer.

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Archie Gray featured for Tottenham Hotspur against Cambridge United in a behind closed doors friendly

Archie Gray made his first appearance for Tottenham Hotspur this weekend following his £40m switch from Elland Road. The former Leeds United man made the move to north London at the start of July after a remarkable breakthrough season with the Whites under Daniel Farke.

After making his senior bow on the opening day of the 2023-24 Championship campaign, the teenager went on to feature 52 times for the Whites and play a crucial role in the club's push for promotion, which ended so cruelly on the pitch at Wembley Stadium. Ultimately, United’s failure to win promotion led to Gray's sale, with Leeds needing to balance the books as they readied themselves for a push to go one better this time around.

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It was a deal that almost didn't happen with Brentford in the frame before the move to Spurs materialised, but it seems Gray has wasted no time in making a positive impression in north London. According to Football London, Gray has caught the eye of new boss Ange Postecoglou this week as the club get their preparations underway for the new Premier League season.

The 18-year-old has been rewarded with his first run out in Spurs colours as the top flight outfit took on Cambridge United in a behind closed doors friendly at the club's training ground in Enfield. Gray played the second half of the contest at right-back and helped the club to a dominant 7-2 win over the League One club.

Given the price Tottenham paid for the youngster, Gray is expected to be part of Postecoglou's first-team plans and he may well get another chance to impress on Wednesday when Spurs travel up from the capital to Edinburgh to take on Hearts. They face QPR in an all-London affair next weekend at Loftus Road before heading out on a pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea.

Gray is expected to be involved on the tour, with the club taking on Vissel Kobe, Team K League and Bayern Munich. Spurs get their Premier League season underway against Leicester City on August 19 and after being part of a Leeds side that beat Leicester twice last season, the youngster will be keen to be involved and make a positive impression on what could be his competitive debut.

Leeds banked £40m in the need to comply with PSR rules with the sale of 18-year-old star Archie Gray to Spurs last week as Joe Rodon moved the other way in a £10m permanent switch. Gray only made his Championship debut in the first game of the 2023-24 campaign but excelled in a stellar breakthrough year and now finds himself as a Premier League player.

But even without Gray, football website Transfermarkt believe that Leeds still have nine of the most 30 valuable players in English football’s second tier. Their values are only estimates and the valuation of any club buying or selling is ultimately the only one that matters. But their list nevertheless provides a pretty good guide as to just what Leeds have, and what they are up against as they bid for promotion at the second time of asking.

Here, we run through the top 30 most expensive players in the division according to Transfermarkt and their ‘market values’. The first batch of players are all valued at the same price, meaning we have submitted our list as a ‘top 33’.