Tottenham Hotspur are expecting admirers to test their resolve by lodging loan bids for Archie Gray when the transfer window reopens for business at the turn of the year after the summer recruit has struggled to secure regular game time under boss Ange Postecoglou, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
Having seen Leeds United miss out on promotion to the Premier League, thanks to a Championship play-off final defeat to Southampton in May, Spurs took advantage by forking out a £30million fee to win the race for the Whites' academy graduate as they aimed to upgrade their squad.
Dominic Solanke also became Tottenham's club-record signing after completing a £65million switch from Bournemouth during a busy recruitment period, but interested parties have been put on red alert due to Gray being unable to make himself one of the first names on the team sheet in north London.
Spurs Anticipating Winter Proposals for Gray
Premier League and Championship outfits keeping tabs on teenager
Tottenham are bracing themselves for Gray to be the subject of loan offers in January, according to GMS sources, with Premier League and Championship suitors contemplating whether to test the waters with a proposal which would see him spend the second half of the season in new surroundings.
Ahead of Spurs' Carabao Cup fourth round clash with Manchester City on Wednesday, the England under-21 international has been limited to just 393 minutes of action in all competitions since his summer arrival and has not been handed any starts in his preferred midfield role.
GMS sources have been informed that key figures within Tottenham are anticipating being forced to make a decision on whether to consider letting Gray leave on a temporary basis as intermediaries have warned that admirers are putting plans in place to ask about his availability after finding himself behind the likes of Yves Bissouma in the pecking order.
Spurs are in a strong negotiating position ahead of potentially having to contend with offers as the teenager committed his long-term future to the club when he penned a six-year contract worth £75,000-per-week upon his switch from Leeds, but a loan departure could be seen as a suitable option for all parties to build his experience.
The amount of game time Gray can expect in the second half of the season if he remains at Tottenham beyond the winter transfer window remains unclear, GMS sources have learned, which comes as a significant blow as he was hopeful of making a telling impact after becoming a big-money recruit.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Archie Gray boasted 92 per cent accuracy when Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to knock Coventry City out of the Carabao Cup in the third round
Gray Remaining Highly-Rated by Postecoglou
North Londoners have not made final decision on midfielder's future
GMS sources have been told that Gray is still highly-rated by Tottenham despite being regularly overlooked by Postecoglou, and there is no suggestion that they will be open to him embarking on a fresh challenge if interested parties offer a route out of his current surroundings during the January transfer window.
The 18-year-old headed to the capital following a breakthrough season at Leeds, where he showcased his versatility over the course of 52 outings in all competitions, and Spurs are adamant he will prove to be a shrewd investment as he looks to highlight that he deserves to be among the first names on the team sheet.
Tottenham have been keen for Gray to rediscover his best form after being delighted at fighting off stiff competition for his signature during the summer, GMS sources recently revealed, and he may be handed an opportunity to impress in a Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City on Wednesday.