Mighty Leeds Weblog

By Jay Harris and David Ornstein On Saturday afternoon, Brentford thought they had pulled off the biggest transfer in the club’s history. Head coach Thomas Frank and technical director Lee Dykes had led a charm offensive to convince Archie Gray to join them from Leeds United — and it looked like it had worked. Gray only made his senior debut for Leeds last August, but Brentford were prepared to pay £40million ($50.6m) for the 18 year old, which would have eclipsed the €36.5million fee they paid to sign Igor Thiago from Club Bruges in February. Gray completed a medical at their training ground in west London and it looked like they had beaten off competition from top sides across Europe for his signature. Yet, by Sunday morning, he had slipped out of their grasp and been swayed instead by the project being pitched by Tottenham Hotspur. The midfielder agreed to join Spurs on a six-year contract, bringing to an end a saga that had been rumbling on for weeks. Leeds relieved their fin

By Jamie Kemble Leeds United have reportedly rejected a sizable offer for one of their key players after selling Archie Gray to Tottenham. Leeds United have reportedly rejected a sizable offer for one of their standout players. The Whites have already been forced to say goodbye to fans favourite and homegrown talent Archie Gray over the last 24 hours, with Tottenham snapping up the 18-year-old for a deal worth around £40million. After failing to win promotion at the first time of asking, the Whites have found themselves in a position where they need to raise significant capital this summer to come in line with Profit and Sustainability rules. Interest in Gray was always expected, while Crysencio Summerville is also likely to be subject to a big offer at some point this summer, with Wilfried Gnonto also likely to attract interest. But it has now emerged that Leeds have received an offer for Georginio Rutter from Premier League club Brighton. According to Leeds Live, the Seagulls

By Leon Wobschall LEEDS United midfielder Darko Gyabi has completed a loan move to Championship rivals Plymouth Argyle - his second temporary switch to the Devon outfit in 2024. The 20-year-old initially joined Argyle in January for the rest of the 2023-24 campaign, shortly after former head coach Ian Foster's arrival. He went straight into the Pilgrims' starting line-up when he made his debut in a 1-1 draw away to Huddersfield Town. The England under-20 international featured ten times for the Home Park outfit in total before his time in the south-west was cut short by a groin injury, which saw him return to Leeds and undergo surgery. Gyabi, named as player of the month at Argyle during February, has now re-signed for the club with a new face in England legend Wayne Rooney at the helm. Gyabi joined Leeds from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, when Jesse Marsch was at the helm.

By Georgia Goulding Leeds United have confirmed the sale of Archie Gray and arrival of Joe Rodon after a double deal with Tottenham Hotspur Leeds United have finalised the departure of Archie Gray ‘with a heavy heart’, as he has now officially made the move to Tottenham Hotspur on six-year deal with the Premier League outfit. The highly sought-after rising talent has been on the radar of multiple clubs this summer and Spurs have beaten their rivals including Liverpool and Manchester United to his signature. Leeds will receive £40 million from Spurs for the sale of Gray, while Joe Rodon has also headed back to Elland Road in a full-time move. The Whites have officially announced the permanent signing of the centre-back, who enjoyed a successful loan spell in West Yorkshire. His move back to Leeds has cost £10 million, as they club have stressed the two deals between them and Tottenham are separate. Daniel Farke will be reunited with Rodon, who featured in all but two Championshi

By Graham Smyth Leeds United say everyone at the club is ‘heartbroken’ but insist Archie Gray’s £40m sale to Tottenham Hotspur will improve their automatic promotion chances. The Whites have confirmed the deal this morning after Spurs met a clause in Gray’s contract that became active when last season’s promotion push ended in Wembley play-off heartbreak. Gray initially looked close to a move to Aston Villa late last week before Brentford moved into pole position and Gray completed a medical. But Leeds pulled the plug on the deal with the Bees over payment schedule disagreements and Spurs then swooped to sign the 18-year-old. A club statement said: “Leeds United can confirm Archie Gray has completed a permanent transfer to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee, after the North London outfit met a release clause that was triggered by the club’s failure to get promoted at the first attempt. Gray progressed through the ranks of the Academy at Thorp Arch and be

Dan Plumley Leeds United are set to receive a “nice boost” to their finances after a UEFA clause emerged for Euro 2024, according to Dan Plumley. The Whites are set to receive around £420,000 from UEFA after having Rasmus Kristensen, Max Wober and Liam Cooper called up to Euro 2024 squads for their respective nations [London World, 17 June]. The club are unlikely to have budgeted for it considering the uncertainty around their call-ups, and football finance expert Plumley believes that makes it a “very nice bonus” for the club. “It’s just a nice boost isn’t it,” he exclusively told MOT Leeds News. “You can choose to spend that whichever way you see fit. You’ve got it in your budget forecast if you’ve really thought ahead and looked at potential players who could be selected for the Euros, but it might just be a nice additional item that comes in as a bit of a bonus. “Either way, in the grand scheme of things with the revenue line at Leeds United and everything else going on

By Graham Smyth Leeds United defender Charlie Cresswell's summer transfer to French side Toulouse is off, the YEP understands. The centre-half is thought to have travelled to France after the two clubs came to an agreement on a £3.8m permanent move, but the deal has fallen through. The YEP understands it is on the player's side of things that the problem has arisen, rather than the club negotiations Cresswell struggled for gametime under Daniel Farke at Leeds last season and at one stage was left out of the squad due to a perceived lack of focus borne out of frustrations over game time. The England Under 21 international could yet leave Elland Road this summer but with the Toulouse deal falling through on Monday afternoon a fresh move is not yet imminent.

By Graham Smyth Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur continue to move towards completion of their deals for Joe Rodon and Archie Gray but there are no talks taking place over a loan back for the latter and no sell-on clause. Gray is set to move to Spurs in a deal worth around £40m for the Whites, while a separate transaction will see Rodon go the other way to become a permanent fixture at Elland Road for a sum in the region of £10m. One of the big questions for Whites fans was whether or not they would see the homegrown talent Gray return immediately on a loan move from his new Premier League club, but the YEP understands the clubs are not discussing such a plan. The sum of money the London club are committing to the 18-year-old also suggests that he will be part of Ange Postecoglou's first team plans this summer once pre-season begins. Gametime was a consideration for Gray when he agreed to go to Brentford for a medical ahead of a move that then broke down over the payment sch

By Nancy Froston, David Ornstein and more Tottenham Hotspur are nearing an agreement to sign Archie Gray from Leeds United with defender Joe Rodon in talks to move back to Elland Road on a permanent deal. Leeds say the two deals are separate, with Spurs set to pay £40million ($50.7m) for Gray and Rodon heading the other way for £10m. The Spurs view is that they are paying £25m-30m for Gray with Rodon part of that agreement. Gray has already completed his medical ahead of his proposed move to Tottenham, while Leeds are doing paperwork on Rodon with that slightly delayed by the player being in Las Vegas. Gray will sign a six-year contract with the north London side and that deal is expected to be completed later today (Monday). The deal to sell Gray will likely put Leeds in a good position regarding the EFL and Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and should mean they are not under pressure to sell any more assets this summer, unless players request to leave.

By Amitai Winehouse If you were transported back to Elland Road on any given Saturday between now and the 1960s, you’d be liable to run into someone with Gray DNA. Whether it was Eddie running down the wing, or Frank at full-back, or Andy playing up front, they were a fairly consistent presence on the pitch in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Then Eddie took his turn on the sidelines, managing the club in the 1980s, and working as assistant manager to David O’Leary in the late 1990s and early 2000s before settling into the commentary box. Essentially, if you knew Leeds United, you knew the Grays. Eddie had to retire from commentary a few years ago but just when the link to the Grays seemed to be weakening, the chatter started around a new Gray… Archie. There was a kid in the academy, the son of Andy, grandson of Frank, who was the next big thing. He began training with the first team at just 15, with the club having to agree terms with his high school to allow it. Then, in

By Graham Smyth Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced negotiations over transfer moves for both Archie Gray and Joe Rodon. Gray came close to joining Brentford over the weekend, after Leeds and Aston Villa had earlier engaged in discussions that progressed towards a deal for the 18-year-old midfielder. Brentford activated a £40m clause in Gray's contract and he travelled south to complete a medical on Saturday, before a disagreement over the payment schedule saw Leeds pull the plug. Tottenham have been keen admirers of the youngster and as the Brentford move broke down Spurs then engaged Leeds in further talks. Spurs have also met Gray's exit clause and the negotiations have pulled Rodon into the mix. The centre-half spent last season on loan at Elland Road and the Whites are now in a position to bring him back permanently in a separate transaction. Rodon played 50 times for Daniel Farke's side last season, first forming a solid partnership with Pascal

By Joe Donnohue Leeds United's attempts to comply with Profitability and Sustainability rules (PSR) has seen the club try to offload academy prospect Archie Gray for upwards of £35 million. Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur have both been in talks with Leeds and the player over the weekend with the latter moving into pole position on Sunday after a £40 million approach from the Bees was rejected by Leeds due to disagreements over the transfer payment structure. Despite a distinct lack of transfer activity throughout June and suggestions the club were not in a financial position which would necessitate a major player sale before the end of the month, Leeds' hand appeared forced by PSR compliance over the weekend as news broke of Gray's imminent exit. While a deal is yet to be struck, negotiations continue and it is still expected that the England youth international will leave Elland Road this summer. Leeds' willingness to sell has been motivated by their need to

Daniel Feliciano Charlie Cresswell is already in France ahead of signing a deal with Toulouse to leave Leeds United permanently, according to Beren Cross. Writing on his personal X account (30 June), the Leeds-Live journalist reports the central defender was at the Stadium de Toulouse on Saturday (29 June) ahead of sealing a £3.8million move to Ligue 1. An announcement for the deal is expected “imminently”, with the 21-year-old having already undergone a medical ahead of his Elland Road exit. The Leeds squad is going to take a battering this summer with several big exits expected after failing to earn promotion back to the Premier League. Fans will have suspected that could open the door to some fringe players from the 2023/24 season earning an opportunity to make a place in the team their own, but that won’t be the case for Cresswell under Daniel Farke. The young academy graduate was handed a new deal and the number five shirt last summer but found himself behind Joe Rodon

By Lee Sobot Leeds have rejected a bid from Brentford for Archie Gray and a move elsewhere now looks more likely. Tottenham Hotspur have moved into pole position to sign Leeds United star Archie Gray with talks ongoing ahead of this evening’s PSR deadline. Leeds have Profitability and Sustainability regulations to contend with and need to sell an asset this summer as tonight’s PSR deadline looms. Eighteen-year-old midfielder Gray looked set to join Brentford after terms were agreed on Saturday and the star headed for a medical but Leeds pulled the plug this morning and rejected the club’s offer - believed to be amounting to £40m - due to concerns about the payment structure. But Chelsea and Tottenham remained interested in the England under-21s star and the YEP understands that Spurs have now moved into pole position with talks ongoing about a deal for the young Whites midfielder. Charlie Cresswell, meanwhile, is understood to be close to sealing a switch to French side Tou