Leeds United could be left concerned about the latest talk surrounding Archie Gray, at least in the opinion of Sky Sports man Paul Robinson.
Sales needed at Elland Road
Daniel Farke's side need to raise around £100m via player sales this summer, according to reports, after missing out on promotion from the Championship.
Though the number was not confirmed by the chairman of the Yorkshire side Paraag Marathe, he did admit "trade-offs" were necessary this summer, name-checking Gray in the process.
"It's a little too early to answer specific questions. I can't talk on specific players right now. If I can paint the big picture for you, there are certain things we need to do and we will make sure we are fully compliant with P&S as we always have been, and there are certain trade-offs that we have to make. We will get to the drawing board and figure out which moves we have to make to make sure we are compliant. It is too early to say, obviously Archie is a tremendous player, as all the players who have put so much effort in for us, but every season brings change. I can't yet comment on it, but we'll see what happens."
Free transfer: Leeds could now move to sign "immense" £35k-p/w PL player
He could prove quite the bargain this summer.
ByBen Browning
Crysencio Summerville is the man everyone expects to leave, while Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter have also both been strongly linked with moves away from the club in the two weeks since playoff heartbreak.
But there is one man they desperately won't want to lose.
Robinson concerned over Gray's future at Leeds
Now, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson, talking to Football Insider, said he is worried about the future of premier talent Gray, who could be one of those sold to help balance the books at Elland Road. Indeed, he suggested that the fact the youngster was named by Marathe could be a bad omen for the summer.
“They won’t be able to keep the squad intact. We know about the financial situation the club is in and the losses they have recorded. We also know about the unpaid transfer fees, which is going to be a problem. FFP and PSR are going to become an issue.
“The fact the chairman has said there are going to have to be tradeoffs and deals done, and he actually namechecked Archie Gray in that statement.
“That will be worrying for Leeds fans, they will hate this, because he’s a player they will be keen to keep hold of. You are looking at the likes of Gray, Gnonto and Summerville potentially leaving."
Gray was an emerging star over the most recent campaign, appearing 44 times in the Championship and starting all three play-off games. Traditionally a midfielder, he has been deployed at right back for the majority of the campaign but could move back to a more central berth in the future, and he is thought to have caught the eye of Arsenal, Liverpool and Bayern Munich among other clubs.
Archie Gray's versatility 2023/24
Position
Games played
Right back
30
Defensive Midfield
6
Central Midfield
10
Attacking midfield
3
Leeds and their fans may well be desperately hoping that they make enough through sales of other players to keep Gray for at least another season, when his value could increase even further and, more importantly, he could play a key role in their push for promotion once more.
