Leeds reject Brentford's club-record deal for star Archie Gray as Tottenham try to hijack transfer
Leeds have now rejected a club-record bid from Brentford for Archie Gray, allowing Tottenham to pounce, talkSPORT understands.
Gray, who had been undergoing a medical examination after the Bees He offered to pay £40m including add-ons and is now left in limbo.
The star is believed to have a release clause in his Leeds contract which expires today, with Brentford offering more than that to close a deal quickly.
But now it has been brought down due to issues with the payment structure.
Gray, a product of the Leeds academy, had been offered a contract worth £75,000-a-week – an attractive package for the 18-year-old.
The deal was set to break Brentford's current transfer record, which stands at £30m when they agreed a deal with the Belgian side. Club Bruges for Brazilian striker Igor Thiago in February.
The Bees will now be forced to go back to the drawing board to close the deal.
They are aware that one of their Premier League rivals could still hijack their deal, and Tottenham known for being enthusiastic The young prodigy is now in negotiations with Leeds.
Gray is also on the radar Chelsea, LiverpoolAston Villa and West Ham.
It is understood Gray was happy to stay at Leeds but was impressed by Brentford's plan for him.
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The England youth international made his senior debut on the opening day of the 2023/24 season.
He then played 52 games for the white team in all competitions, contributing one goal and two assists.
Gray began the campaign as a central midfielder and then moved to make the majority of his appearances at right-back, demonstrating his versatility.
Leeds were hoping to secure a place in the Premier League but missed out on automatic promotion to Leicester and Ipswich.
Despite reaching the play-off final, Daniel FarkeThe team was defeated by Southamptonsubjecting them to at least one more year at the second level.
Gray's departure is believed to bring them into compliance with Earnings and Sustainability rules, putting them in a strong position should the Crysencio Summerville Be subject to any offer.
Club president Paraag Marathe did not rule out Gray leaving Elland Road last month.
He said: “It is too early to answer specific questions. I cannot speak about specific players at the moment.
“If I can describe the big picture, there are certain things we need to do and we will ensure that we are fully compliant with the PSR.
“We have to make some concessions. We have to start from scratch to decide what moves we have to make.”
“Obviously Archie is a tremendous player, but every season brings changes. I can’t comment yet, but we’ll see what happens.”
As for Brentford, they will be looking to improve on last season's 16th place finish in the Premier League.
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