Archie Gray's Leeds United exit set to make history amid new football transfer record — YEP 30/6/24
By Will Jackson
Archie Gray is set to have a medical at Brentford ahead of a
proposed move to west London
Archie Gray would become the most expensive English teenager
of all time should he complete the move to Brentford this summer. The
18-year-old is due to have a medical in west London after agreeing personal
terms with the Premier League club.
A deal between the two sides has not been finalised but it
is understood to be worth £40m plus the possibility of add ons, with the pair
still negotiating a payment schedule. Of course, there is still a possibility
that Gray moves elsewhere, with Tottenham and Chelsea understood to have been
in talks.
However, seldom has a player so young attracted such a fee.
In fact, just five teenagers have been sold for more money in world football,
with Gray set to become the sixth most expensive player under the age of 20 in
history.
Of course, Kylian Mbappe holds the title of being football's
most expensive teenager after making the move from Monaco to PSG for £154m,
while Joao Felix's £108m switch from Benfica to Atletico Madrid sees him second
in the list.
Matthis de Ligt made the move from Ajax to Juventus for
£72.5m, Romeo Lavia cost Chelsea £53m from Southampton and Manchester United
shelled out £51m for Anthony Martial. Vincius Jr and Rodrygo currently share
sixth spot with the pair costing Real Madrid £38m.
Gray, should he leave for the Gtech Community Stadium, would
slot into the list above the Brazilian pair to become the only Englishman
inside the top 10 most expensive teenagers. Jude Bellingham set Real Madrid
back an initial £88.5m last summer and that deal was announced while the
midfielder was still 19.
However, the deal officially went through on July 1 2023,
two days after the England star's 20th birthday. As such, the figure Leeds and
Brentford have agreed upon would see Gray surpass Man United's Luke Shaw as the
most expensive English teenager of all time.
Shaw, who is pushing to be fit for England's Euro 2024 clash
with Slovakia on Sunday, made the move from Southampton to Old Trafford in 2014
for £30m, which was a world record for a teenager at the time.
Of course, in an ideal world Leeds would be able to keep
hold their prized asset this summer as Daniel Farke's side push for promotion
from the Championship. However, after missing out on a spot in the Premier
League last time around, the club have been forced to make the tough decision.
