Leeds United were relegated back down to the Championship at the end of the 2022/23 campaign as their three-year stay in the Premier League came crashing to an end.
The Whites had achieved survival under Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons respectively, before a mixture of Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce combined to fail to win enough points to avoid the drop last term.
German head coach Daniel Farke was appointed as the club's new head coach over the summer and the former Norwich City tactician was backed throughout the transfer window with nine new signings.
He was able to bring in Joel Piroe, Sam Byram, Ilia Gruev, Ethan Ampadu, Karl Darlow, and Glen Kamara on permanent deals, whilst Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, and Jaidon Anthony arrived on loans from Tottenham and Bournemouth respectively.
These signings have played their part to help Leeds to enjoy a strong start to the second division season. The Whites are currently third after 16 matches and eight points off the automatic promotion places.
Farke has the team competing at the right end of the table but, as it stands, they will have to go through the lottery of the play-offs unless they close the gap on the top two.
Failure to win promotion could be damaging for Leeds for a number of reasons; one of which being that top-flight clubs could look to snap up their best talents.
Leeds transfer news – Archie Gray
It was recently reported by The Daily Mail that Premier League giants Liverpool are eyeing up academy graduate Archie Gray ahead of a possible swoop for his services next summer.
The outlet claimed that the Reds are preparing a bid to sign the 17-year-old gem at the end of the season, whilst Crystal Palace and Everton are also said to be keen on the talented teenager.
It is stated that Leeds currently value the central midfielder, who has been deployed at right-back in recent matches, at a minimum of £40m and could demand up to £50m for him.
His current contract is due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 campaign and the Whites could have a decision to make if they fail to win promotion and the player opts against putting pen to paper on an extension, as he would only have 12 months left to run on his deal next summer.
Whilst this is potentially concerning news for Leeds and the supporters, as Premier League clubs are eyeing up their supreme young talent, it should also be looked at as a positive.
It shows that they have an exceptional 17-year-old ace who is playing well enough to attract interest from a European giant, as well as two other top-flight teams.
The minimum £40m valuation that Leeds have on Gray's head also shows that the club have played a masterclass with the versatile gem, who they brought in for £0 as an academy gem.
Gray's academy statistics for Leeds
He progressed through the youth ranks at Elland Road and scored two goals in 11 U18 appearances for the Whites before his U21 breakthrough.
Gray then made a name for himself with the U21s as he racked up two goals and five assists across 26 matches in all competitions, which included three assists in nine Premier League 2 games last term.
The teenage starlet showcased his potential against Tranmere in the EFL Trophy during the 2021/22 campaign. As per Sofascore, the talented whiz made three tackles, completed two dribbles, and created three chances for his teammates to earn a rating of 7/10.
He was named on the bench against Arsenal by Bielsa for a Premier League match at the age of 15 in December 2021, and appeared on the bench a further five times that term as a reward for his exploits at youth level.
Gray's first-team statistics for Leeds
The central midfielder had yet to make his first-team bow for Leeds ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and Farke has placed his faith in the academy graduate throughout the season so far.
Gray has already racked up 17 senior appearances in all competitions and has established himself as a key player for the German head coach.
The England U19 international, who was hailed as "impressive" by EFL pundit Sam Parkin earlier this term, has started 13 Championship matches so far and has caught the eye with his tough-tackling displays.
He currently ranks within the top 14% of his positional peers in the second tier for tackles (2.58) per 90, which shows that the young gem has excelled at making challenges to win possession back for his side on a regular basis.
The exciting young talent has shown strength beyond his years with a duel success rate of 54% across his 15 league outings for the Whites.
Opposition players have not been able to get the better of him more often than not to dominate the 17-year-old from a physical perspective, which is a credit to his intelligent positioning and work in the gym to handle the step up in physicality from academy to first-team football.
Gray's performance against Plymouth in numbers
His most recent performance against Plymouth showcased his defensive qualities as the teenage ace lined up at right-back and produced a solid display.
Gray played the full 90 minutes of the 2-1 win, as Leeds head into the international break on a high, and made three tackles and won seven of his 13 ground duels throughout the match.
Along with his defensive contributions, the academy graduate completed 90% of his attempted passes, created one chance for his teammates, and completed two of his attempted dribbles over the 90 minutes.
These statistics show that the English dynamo made an impact in and out of possession as he used his composure and quality in possession to be a reliable outlet for the team on the right, to go along with his tough-tackling display off the ball.
Appearances
Two
Sofascore rating
7.4
Pass accuracy
93%
Tackles
Six
Ball recoveries
11
Chances created
Three
Overall, Gray has been an excellent option for Farke in midfield and at right-back and, therefore, it is no surprise to see him attracting interest from elsewhere.
For now, though, Leeds must take it as a compliment and be proud of the work they have done with the teenage maestro as they have, as it stands, turned an academy graduate who cost them nothing into a player they value at £40m or more.
