Archie Gray (18), who Tottenham Hotspur have in this summer’s transfer window, was scheduled to move to Brentford, which is based in London.
According to the British The Athletic on the 2nd (Korea time), when Tottenham announced the recruitment of Gray, Gray passed a medical test to join Brentford, but suddenly changed his mind when he was offered a transfer to Tottenham. It took 48 hours for him to pass the medical test at Tottenham’s designated hospital again and decide to join Tottenham.
In an interview with the Tottenham Hotspur website, Gray cited the size of the Tottenham squad and coach Enze Postecoglou as the factors that decided to join Tottenham.
Gray said, “I’m really looking forward to it. Tottenham is definitely a big club and an opportunity that I can’t say no to. I’m really happy to start with the team.”
“Honestly, I’m not feeling down and I don’t think I will for the next few days. I don’t think I will until I meet everyone and we play a few games. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m really excited because it’s an amazing opportunity.”
He continued, “When Tottenham offered, I couldn’t refuse the opportunity to play in the Champions League and the Europa League. I know many players at Tottenham. Not only the first team but also young players. Another reason is that I want to be part of a huge project under Postecoglou. I will not lie. I love him and the whole family likes him because I am a big fan of Celtic. Playing under a good coach is really important to me, so Postecoglou is also a big factor. I am only 18 years old, so I have a lot to learn.”
Gray signed a contract with Tottenham until 2030 along with their No. 14 jersey. According to Fabrizio Romano, a transfer market expert, Tottenham reached an agreement with Leeds United through swap deals, including defender Joe Roden, in cash. “Tottenham pays Leeds United £40 million for one of England’s greatest talents born in 2006, and Leeds United pays Tottenham £10 million for Roden,” Romano said.
Tottenham said, “Archie, who was born in Durham, joined the Leeds Under-9 team and performed well in the academy system, making his Premier League roster in 2021 at the age of just 15. After being promoted from Leeds United Under-21 at the end of the 2022-23 season, he made his senior debut in the 2023-24 championship opener. Last season, he played as a central midfielder and right full-back throughout the entire season, making 52 appearances across all tournaments, including leading Leeds United to the playoff final. With this performance, he was named England Championship Rookie of the Year last season.”
“Grey, who is only 18 years old, is a member of the ‘Liz Football Dynasty,'” he said. “His father Andy, grandfather Frank, and uncle Eddie were all players representing Leeds and also played for England’s age-specific national team.” 유흥알바
“Grey made his first appearance for England under-21s in European Championship qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Luxembourg earlier this year and even scored against Azerbaijan,” he continued.
Gray, who will join Tottenham led by captain Son Heung-min, said, “There are a lot of amazing players. Honestly, I’m just really grateful that I can train with them every day. I want to show them why they recruited me and my value. I hope I can play with them on the field. They are all amazing players and I can’t wait to meet them.”
“I have a lot to learn. I think some parts of the Premier League will suit me better than the Championship. I am ready. I can match my physical and technical aspects well in the Premier League,” he said. “I want to play as many games as possible and help my team develop. I will try to be as competitive as possible in training every day and join the team early in the season and remain in the team.”
Leeds United’s move to the club’s present and future is due to financial difficulties. Leeds United suffered a financial setback when they missed out on promotion to the Premier League due to their 0-1 defeat to Southampton in the promotion play-off final. As a result, they were forced to sell one or two key players this summer, and Gray was one of the players with the highest transfer fee possible.
The Athletic also paid attention to the background of Tottenham’s recruitment of Gray. Johan Lange, technical director, was in charge of recruiting Gray. Tottenham’s recruitment department, led by Lange over the past 12 months, scouted young players who could be used immediately in the first team but still had high growth potential. The trend began with Radu Dragusin and Lucas Verbal wearing Tottenham uniforms in the winter transfer market.
The Athletic said, “Tottenham should thank Lange for his hard work in getting this deal done. Lange has been in daily contact with Gray’s camp for the past few weeks. Chairman Daniel Levy has only invested a few hours in recent days to make this deal work.”
