Eight players were sold by Leeds United in the summer as the club decided to cash in where necessary, in order to balance the books and fund another assault on Championship promotion.
Three of those eight players earned Daniel Farke’s side north of £100m in the summer. Archie Gray was joined by Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter in switching to Premier League clubs from Leeds.
In came Tottenham, West Ham and Brighton and having failed to gain promotion in the 2023-24 season, the trio opted to go. Summerville has endured a difficult time with the Hammers, struggling to start.
Ray Parlour cannot understand Summerville’s lack of game time, while Rutter has been hot and cold with Brighton – coinciding with their form. For Gray, it has been an interesting first half to the 24-25 season.
Ally McCoist says he feels sorry for Tottenham’s Archie Gray
Bought by Spurs for £40m, Leeds fans are well aware of the versatility that England U21 Gray possesses. Naturally a midfielder, Gray played in central midfield, right-back and even as a no.10 in the play-offs.
At Spurs, he was initially on the bench and playing as a right-back in the Cup competitions. But an injury crisis has seen Gray start Spurs’ last six games as a centre-back, lastly against Newcastle on Saturday.
A 2-1 home defeat to The Toon left Spurs with just one Premier League win in eight. During commentary on TNT Sports, McCoist says he feels sorry for Gray that he is having to play as a makeshift centre-back.
“Absolutely [you have to applaud him for playing out of position]. Feel for him. You can see he’s a very good player and there will be continued improvement from him,” McCoist said, in first-half injury-time.
Is Jamie Redknapp’s Archie Gray prediction become a reality?
Before he had even made his Leeds debut, Jamie Redknapp predicted Gray to become an England star. At the time, it was outlandish because Gray had not even made his Leeds debut, let alone his Spurs one.
Now at Redknapp’s old side and a fully-fledged England U21 international, he is certainly closer than ever and on Saturday, Thomas Tuchel was watching Tottenham’s defeat to Newcastle in North London.
However, while Gray is playing as a centre-back and Tottenham are playing the way they are, the chances of Gray getting an England call-up are tiny. He needs to be moved to right-back, or back into midfield.
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