Highlights
Leeds United's Archie Gray is set to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Joe Rodon may move to Leeds as part of the deal, according to talkSPORT.
Gray's departure will be softened by Rodon's potential arrival.
Leeds United fans will be gutted that homegrown prodigy Archie Gray is set to depart the club, with Tottenham Hotspur set to sign the England under-21 youngster on a permanent deal with the Whites having failed to gain promotion to the Premier League - but their blow will be softened somewhat with reports suggesting that Joe Rodon will go the other way as part of the deal taking the midfielder to north London.
Gray burst onto the scene for Leeds last season, making his first-team debut in August and making 52 appearances in all competitions for the Yorkshire side, where he began his career at the age of just nine. A fan favourite, Gray's footballing brain and composure ranked him as one of the best players in the Championship even at such a young age - and that garnered the interest of some huge teams in Europe. With Tottenham looking set to the race for his signature, it will leave Leeds fans being initially gutted - but they could be spurred slightly by the arrival of Rodon after his impressive spell on loan at Elland Road last season.
Crook: Rodon to Return to Leeds
The defender was massively impressive last season
The report from talkSPORT's Alex Crook 'understands' that Rodon is set to join Leeds as part of the Gray negotiations, with the youngster already completing his medical at Tottenham ahead of a £40million move.
The Welshman was outstanding at the back last season alongside fellow countryman Ethan Ampadu, and it was thought that he would return to Leeds in a £15million deal if they clinched promotion back to the top-flight - though that notion fell at the final hurdle with the Elland Road side losing to Southampton in the Championship play-off final.
Regardless of a collective failure, Rodon massively impressed and showed that he was a class above, yet Ipswich Town's late run of form and Leeds' form saw them remain in the second-tier.
Tottenham stars Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero have cemented their places as first-choice centre-backs in north London, whilst last season's signing Radu Dragusin has shown he is a great backup option and that has effectively ruled Rodon surplus to requirements, making him the perfect makeweight to tempt Gray to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Gray Exit Will Sting Leeds United Fans
There is a huge sentimental value to the youngster
However, despite Rodon's return, there is no getting away from what a bitter blow losing Gray will be. Leeds already lost a homegrown favourite to Premier League elite back in 2022 when Kalvin Phillips left for Manchester City, but with Gray coming through the ranks, the Whites had another academy star to wax lyrical over.
Gray has a family tree that bleeds Leeds; father Andy played as a striker for the club just over 10 years ago, grandfather Frank registered over 300 league appearances at Elland Road, and get uncle Eddie spent his entire career at Leeds before managing the club for three years throughout the 1980's.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Archie Gray made the bench at the age of just 15 when Leeds played Arsenal in December 2021.
That alone is a blow to fans, especially with generations of the family all playing for the club for a large period of their history - but at just 18, his spell is to be cut short once his move to Tottenham goes through.
It's unknown as to how much game time Gray will get under Ange Postecoglou, with Pedro Porro being the first-choice right-back in north London and a plethora of international midfielders likely to feature ahead of him in the pecking order; but there is no doubting that Tottenham are claiming one of the best young talents in the country.