Brentford are reportedly closing in on signing 18-year-old Leeds United utility man Archie Gray, beating top clubs to his signature.
According to a report from HITC, Brentford have now agreed to a £35 million deal to sign Archie Gray. Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are keen on the 18-year-old Leeds United prodigy as well, and the development will come as a major blow for all three clubs.
The 18-year-old is highly rated in the EFL Championship, and he is regarded as one of the finest young midfield prospects in English football right now. Gray has established himself as a key player for Leeds, and his performances were quite impressive last season.
However, he failed to help Leeds secure promotion to the Premier League. The opportunity to move to the top flight will be quite attractive for the player, and Brentford could provide them with the platform to showcase his abilities at a high level.
The 18-year-old is versatile enough to operate as a central midfielder as well as a full-back. He could be an asset for Brentford in the long term. Although the £35 million deal might seem expensive right now, the Leeds United prodigy has the quality to justify the investment in the coming seasons.
Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham could certainly use more quality and depth in the middle of the park and it will be interesting to see if they move on to other targets now. Gray would have been a long term investment for them.
Brentford move would be ideal for Archie Gray
The 18-year-old needed to join a club or he will play regularly, and he is likely to get more first team opportunities at Brentford compared to the other three Premier League giants. Regular football will be the key to his development right now.
If he manages to fulfil his potential with regular football at Brentford, he will have plenty of opportunities to join elite clubs in the near future. A move to Brentford seems like the ideal step up in his career right now and it will be interesting to see if he can hit the ground running in the Premier League and make an instant impact.
Meanwhile, Leeds would have ideally wanted to hold on to the talented young midfielder. But they are under pressure to sell players this summer. They will have to comply with the financial regulations, and Brentford have now taken advantage of the situation and are looking to wrap up the transfer quickly.
