FFP issues, contractual error and Tottenham reality: final verdict on Archie Gray’s Leeds transfer

Losing academy talent is always a bitter pill to swallow, but Archie Gray’s departure from Leeds United has stung the Elland Road faithful. We all knew big departures were coming as soon as the final whistle blew at Wembley in May, but the reality of this first key exit has been a blow.

Leeds’ board have done everything they can to mitigate the inevitable backlash to Gray’s move to Tottenham Hotspur, not least by securing a permanent deal for Joe Rodon to head in the opposite direction. The Welsh defender was a key part of the team under Daniel Farke last season and his return is a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing situation.

The club have had no choice but to look to sell before another season in the Championship, with financial pressures weighing on Leeds outside the Premier League. But is selling Gray, who has such a bright future ahead of him, really the best option? Here’s our writers’ verdict.

READ MORE: Leeds United confirm £40m move with Archie Gray and Joe Rodon swapping places

READ MORE: 49ers vow to sign Leeds United after selling Archie Gray to Tottenham

Cross of Beren

Nothing will make up for many Leeds United fans losing arguably the best player their academy has produced in 20 years, if not in its entire history. It seems a bold statement after one season in professional football, and that wasn’t even in the Premier League.

However, anyone who watched Archie Gray for even half an hour last season will have seen the kind of talent Leeds had on their hands. The 18-year-old’s pedigree only underlines the prodigious potential he has, especially under the watchful eye of his great-uncle Eddie, a member of Elland Road royalty.

Fans must have dreamed of seeing Gray at the heart of this Leeds team for years, even if it meant another year in the Championship in the short term. If the club were to eventually become too small, a sale in another two years would net them double what they earned this morning.

The inclusion of a no-promotion clause in his January contract renewal will come as a bit of a surprise to many. Only the parties involved in the contract negotiations will know why they agreed to include such a clause, but in doing so, this outcome was always a possibility.

There is much more to write about this episode, but for now, it will sting. Fortunately, Leeds have two cushions for the blow. A sale to Spurs without Joe Rodon involved, even if it is a separate deal, would have been a huge own goal for 49ers Enterprises.

As things stand, landing this correspondent’s 2023/24 player of the year award, despite being in the Championship, is a huge coup. The long-term effect of Gray’s departure will be felt as he develops into the England international we expect, but Rodon, at 26, will make an immediate and material difference to the fortunes of this club.

The other cushion is the realization that United’s profitability and sustainability position is now in a very comfortable position. All future sales will now be negotiated entirely on United’s terms and at the price they want.

Dom Howson

Few would agree with Leeds United’s statement suggesting that selling Archie Gray “improves” their chances of promotion next season. But that’s not the case at all.

Leeds will miss Gray’s energy, adaptability and supreme confidence on the ball. The lad is a special talent and Leeds would have loved to keep him for another year. But in football money often talks and the reality is that Leeds needed to make at least one lucrative sale to ensure the club continued to meet the standards of profitability and sustainability. Right now they are in no position to turn down offers of £30-40m for their best players.

Tottenham are a Premier League club and will play in the Europa League next season. Moving to North London is a chance for Gray to step up and take his career to the next level. His place is on the big stage.
Joe Rodon’s re-signing softens the blow of losing Gray to some extent. Rodon shone on loan last season and brings much-needed experience in defence. It’s a sensible decision and is another piece of the puzzle.

Actions speak louder than words and the 49ers now have work to do to regain the trust of fans after selling Gray. Time is of the essence for Leeds with less than six weeks to go until the new campaign kicks off. More signings are needed to lift the spirits at the venue.

James Smailes

It was always going to be the departure that would hurt the most. Archie Gray’s family name and passion for Leeds United made the decision difficult to accept, but it is a mutually beneficial deal that makes perfect sense.

Leeds may play it down, but there are clearly some issues around profit and sustainability and an influx of revenue was needed to make room for additions to the team this summer. For the 49ers, this is a deal no company could turn down. And, even if we say it through gritted teeth, football is a business.

A teenager who cost the club nothing has left and in return the Whites will receive £30m and an experienced international who still has his best years ahead of him. On a concrete basis, it is a deal no club would turn down.

Gray is undoubtedly a future England international heading for the very top of the game and, as much as Leeds fans don’t want to admit it, his career is progressing faster and he benefits more from leaving Leeds behind and playing for Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou. He will be playing for Spurs next season, there’s no doubt about that. Not seeing Gray mature in a Leeds shirt into the player we all hope he will be will hurt, but ultimately this move is best for the player and the club.

Stuart Jamieson

The idea that Crycensio Summerville, Willy Gnonto and other players were likely to leave Leeds United was hard to swallow… but this time it’s a real headache. The fact is that the club can’t afford to turn down an offer of this size for any player.

Archie Gray is a youth talent who has the world at his feet and knowing that Leeds will not be able to see him develop on home soil is a huge blow. He will go on to even greater things than Spurs and no one will be surprised to see him shine at the highest level.

One small consolation is that at least the club have maximised their income from the player, and negotiating the return of Joe Rodon on a permanent deal is a huge plus. The defender’s arrival has ticked an important box for Daniel Farke and is one less problem to deal with in a transfer window that will be focused on plugging holes.