GOAL journalist Neil Jones says he would be ‘amazed’ if Liverpool spent £40 million to sign Archie Gray from Leeds United anytime soon.
Gray’s performances at Leeds this season has caught the attention of several Premier League clubs including Liverpool, with the Mail claiming they could launch a big money offer next summer.
However, in a new update by Jones on Redmen TV, he actually believes Liverpool’s name could be being used by agents to drum up interest in Gray, with it being highly unlikely they would splash £40 million on a teenager.
Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur – as per 90min.com – are among the other clubs to have scouted Gray, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Leeds.
Leeds are keen to tie Gray to a new long-term deal once he turns 18 and according to Team Talk, he is happy to remain at Elland Road and continue his progression.
Leeds’ chances of keeping Gray high despite PL interest
Speaking on whether he believes Liverpool will launch an offer for Gray, Jones says he would be shocked if they were to pay the reported asking price at this stage of his career.
He said: “£40m seems like a huge fee. I think there’s a bit of that at play with agents putting clubs in, we’ve seen Liverpool used in the past. Liverpool would be aware of any 17-year-old making waves in any league.
“It’s an interesting player, but I would be amazed if Liverpool spend £40m on a 17-year-old at this point unless they were convinced he was the best young player in the country.”
Gray is still only 17 and therefore there is absolutely no rush for him to move to a club like Liverpool while he is still playing regularly at Leeds.
There is no doubt that one day Gray will be at the top of English football, but he could well be a Premier League player at Leeds this time next year anyway.
At the same time, Gray still only has 17 senior appearances to his name and with that, plenty of learning and developing to do yet.
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