Archie Gray tipped to leave Tottenham on loan for Leeds United in January
Tottenham Hotspur young gun Archie Gray has been subject to links with a loan move away from White Hart Lane as he struggles to find minutes under his belt this season.
The teenager only moved to the Hotspur Way in the summer from Championship side Leeds United for a fee worth around £30million. Spurs overcame competition from London rivals Brentford to the signing of the England youth international, who played 52 matches in all competitions in his breakout campaign at the Elland Road.
Before Spurs’ 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup fourth round, Archie Gray was limited to just 393 minutes of action in all competitions since his summer arrival. He was handed a start at right-back in a 4-3-3 formation and completed the full game against Man City on Wednesday.
However, former Leeds striker Lee Sharpe has urged Archie Gray to leave Tottenham on loan in January. He feels a move back to Elland Road would be perfect for all parties involved, allowing the prodigious talent to get regular minutes under his belt to continue his development.
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“I think it would be unbelievable if Leeds could take Archie on loan in the second half of the season,” Sharpe was quoted by Tottenham News.
“It would be one of those deals that suits everyone. Archie would be playing regular football at a very high standard in an environment that he has flourished in before, he would get better and would go back to Tottenham a better player.
“It would be great for Leeds because he’s such a quality, versatile player. It’s a loan that would benefit all parties.”
In paying around £30million to Leeds for Gray, Spurs landed one of the most exciting young players in English football. Having arrived at N17, Gray would have hoped to get minutes and compete for a spot in the starting XI under Big Ange. However, that hasn’t been the case.
While he is only 18, the England under-21 international is good enough to start for Big Ange’s side. Given the intense competition in full-back and midfield, Gray has to produce his best whenever he gets opportunities in cup competitions. Spurs cannot just leave a prodigious talent like Gray on the bench, Daniel Levy and Co. must contemplate letting him leave temporarily in January.
The versatile Englishman has a bright future in the game and the only way he can realize his true potential is by getting regular game time. Thus, it makes sense for Gray to seek a loan move away, perhaps even back to Leeds.
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A temporary exit back to Thorpe Arch could be seen as a suitable option for all parties involved to build his confidence and experience.
