Football League World

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Leeds United supporters will always wonder what could have been with Archie Gray, who left for Tottenham Hotspur over the summer after just one season in the first-team fold.

The Whites ultimately fell short in their ambitions of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking last season, losing out in the Championship play-off final to Southampton. Leeds' player retention power was subsequently weakened tenfold, with Gray departing in a hectic summer transfer window alongside the likes of Glen Kamara, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter.

A member of the vaunted Gray dynasty at Elland Road, the teenager had long been poised for a glittering future during his progression through Leeds' academy system and eventually vindicated just that.

He enjoyed a stunning breakout season during the 2023/24 campaign and made 52 appearances across all competitions, the majority of which came at right-back as opposed to his favoured central midfield position.

Gray, who was just 17 years of age for the majority of his first and only season in the Whites' first-team, promptly earned a move to Tottenham Hotspur at the start of July. The deal was reported to be worth £30 million, with Joe Rodon heading the other way on a permanent basis after spending the previous season on loan with Leeds - the entire package was said to be worth around £40m to Leeds.

Leeds United, Archie Gray regret claim

We caught up with our resident Whites fan pundit, Kris Smith, to ask if there was one past player he wished to have seen more often for his club.

"I think a player every Leeds fan wishes they saw more of before he left was Archie Gray, because there's no telling how far he could go in the game and how little we're actually going to end up seeing of his career," Kris explained to Football League World.

"£40 million is obviously an awful lot of money in the Championship and you can't really turn that down, especially in our position after missing out on [promotion through] the play-offs.

"But he's going to be worth a hell of a lot more soon enough if he keeps developing the way he is. He's already showing his quality at Tottenham in any position he's played in, whether it's left-back, right-back or even in central midfield.

"The fact we only got to see him for one season is such a shame, and it was a season where he was playing at right-back instead of central midfield as well, and he was 17 for most of it.

"There's a strong feeling of jealousy with Leeds in terms of watching on and seeing him play for Tottenham at the moment.

"I think it comes from the fact that we know we could and should have been in the Premier League this season and having Gray developing as one of our own into someone that is destined to play for England and start every week."

Leeds United will regret 23/24 promotion failure

The Whites are sure to be among the promotion reckoning once again this time around, but their failure to complete the objective last term dealt them with devastating consequences.

Of course, there can be no absolute guarantees that they would have been able to retain the likes of Gray, Rutter and Summerville had they achieved promotion. However, Leeds undoubtedly would have stood a much better chance.

They would not have been forced into generating as much money in player sales as they did, while having a status as a Premier League team could well have convinced their prized assets to stay put in West Yorkshire.

The optimists may attest that Leeds deserve credit in the first place for developing talent and returning profits in the first place, and that line of thinking is far from false. However, supporters will always be haunted by the nagging thought of what could have been, which may only ring harder if Gray develops according to expectation at Spurs.

Leeds United's summer transfer window witnessed several high-profile player departures following their Championship play-off final loss last campaign.

Perhaps Whites supporters will have been most upset by the exit of youth academy product Archie Gray, who left for Tottenham Hotspur, while fellow key player Georginio Rutter joined Brighton for a fee of £40m, a new club record for the Seagulls.

Rutter took centre stage on Sunday as the Seagulls locked horns with Spurs in the Premier League at the Amex Stadium on Sunday and will have been disappointed at half-time as his side trailed 2-0.

But by the 58th minute, Fabian Hurzeler's men found themselves level as Rutter scored to make it 2-2 before former Manchester United man Danny Welbeck completed the comeback just eight minutes later.

Leeds fans will look at Rutter's Spurs exploits with frustration

After playing his role in the Seagulls' remarkable comeback against Spurs, the 22-year-old has shown his ability to make a major impact against high-profile opponents in the Premier League, a feat he also managed last month as he opened the scoring during his team's 4-2 loss at Chelsea.

But this is not a quality he showed during his time in the top-flight with the Whites, which may frustrate the Elland Road faithful who saw the former France Under-21 international feature in a Leeds side who were relegated to the Championship.

Rutter arrived in West Yorkshire in January 2023 from German outfit Hoffenheim for a fee of £35.5m, according to Sky Sports, and the then Premier League Whites would have hoped that he could help them stave off the threat of relegation.

Rutter had scored two goals and provided two assists for Hoffenheim in 15 Bundesliga appearances during the 2022/23 season, prior to making his move to England, but was unable to deliver in the Premier League during his Elland Road days.

In fact, the 22-year-old failed to score a single goal in 11 top-flight outings for the Whites, who finished in the bottom three at the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season.

Meanwhile, he seemingly struggled to adjust to life following his transfer and was handed just one league start by his then new club, prior to relegation to the Championship.

But the Seagulls are currently witnessing a much more clinical version of the attacking midfielder, who has now managed two goals in six league appearances for his new club.

The Whites faithful will believe that they may have avoided relegation from the Premier League in 2023 if Rutter was able to establish that sort of form two seasons ago.

Rutter performed well for the Whites in the Championship

Despite failing to make an impact for the Elland Road outfit in the top-flight, the attacking midfielder almost made up for it last campaign, and found himself scoring goals and creating assists on a regular basis.

Rutter scored seven Championship goals last campaign, while creating a more impressive total of 15 assists in the second tier as the Whites landed a top-six spot.

The former Hoffenheim man provided the Whites faithful with plenty of positive memories last campaign, including a goal he scored during an impressive 4-0 win over Norwich City in last season's play-off semi-final.

But sadly for Rutter and the Whites, their chapter together did not receive a happy ending as the West Yorkshire outfit suffered a 1-0 defeat to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium in May, before the creative ace joined Brighton in the summer.

The Whites fans will now be frustrated to see their side's former star man performing well in the Premier League, having failed to do so consistently in his Elland Road days.

Wilson Odobert joined Tottenham Hotspur from Burnley during the summer transfer window following the Clarets' relegation from the top-flight.

The wideman scored three goals and produced two assists in the Premier League last season, and also scored during his solitary appearance at the beginning of the current Championship campaign prior to his move to Spurs in a deal worth around £25m.

Odobert is a product of the Paris Saint Germain youth academy, and represented the Ligue 1 giants in the UEFA Youth League during the 2021/22 campaign, and scored three goals in just six appearances, as per FotMob.

However, the 19-year-old never played for PSG at senior level, but did make 32 league appearances for fellow French outfit Troyes, then of Ligue 1, during the 2022/23 season, and scored 4 goals as well as creating two assists in the process.

Odobert's contributions for Troyes earned him a move to Burnley, while just a year later he now represents Spurs, and will be hoping to help the north London club achieve success both domestically and in the Europa League.

Odobert's Spurs salary

Since the teenager left the Clarets to join Spurs, it has become evident that he is held in high regard by his new boss Ange Postecoglou, as he earned Premier League starts against both Everton and Newcastle United in late August and early September respectively, while he also made a substitute appearance during his side's mid-September meeting with bitter rivals Arsenal.

According to Capology estimates, Odobert is earning a weekly wage of £25,000 per week, which adds up to a yearly salary of £1.3m.

This is more than double the amount he was earning with the Clarets, according to Capology, who estimate the winger was on a weekly wage of £10,000 with his former club.

Odobert will hope to hit the ground running with Spurs soon

The fact that Odobert managed just five goal contributions in 29 Premier League outings last term does not exactly paint the picture that he is a prolific attacker.

However, he did well considering the context that he was just 18 when he joined the Clarets, who managed just five wins in the top-flight last campaign.

Furthermore, the former Troyes man began the current season with a clear eye for goal, as he scored for the Lancashire outfit as they hammered Luton Town 4-1 at Kenilworth Road during the opening weekend of Championship action.

The fact that Odobert was named in Postecoglou's starting 11 during two of his first three Spurs appearances, demonstrating how highly rated he is by his new boss.

The 19-year-old will hope to find the scoresheet for the north London outfit as soon as possible, while an upcoming home fixture in the Premier League against Brentford, who Spurs will fancy themselves against, could prove fruitful.

Europa League clashes on the horizon with Azerbaijan-based side Qarabag as well as Hungarian champions Ferencvaros could also see Odobert finding himself in goalscoring positions, if he is selected by Postecoglou.

Given that the former Clarets man is still a youngster, it is clear that Spurs invested in him with future potential in mind, but Odobert will clearly want to score and assist as often as possible for his new club.

Tottenham Hotspur starlet Archie Gray only joined the North London club this summer from Leeds United, and he showed that he still has the Whites on his mind in the aftermath of Spurs' late 2-1 win over Coventry City in the EFL Cup last night.

The 18-year-old joined Spurs from Leeds in July for a fee believed to be around £30m, and has seemingly settled into life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium relatively well with three appearances from the five games that the club have played so far this season.

He was deployed as a midfielder by Ange Postecoglou in his first two Premier League appearances as he came on as a late substitute against Leicester City and Everton in the opening games of the campaign, and was handed his first Spurs start last night in the third round of the EFL Cup against Mark Robins' Sky Blues.

Archie Gray makes Leeds mishap in post-match interview

Gray completed a stellar 90 minutes at right-back as Postecoglou's men battled back from going a goal behind to win in added time courtesy of Brennan Johnson's neat finish, but he had a slip of the tongue in the post-match interview at the CBS Arena that proves he still holds the Whites close to his heart.

Speaking to Sky Sports in the aftermath of their late win, Gray explained how he knew facing Coventry would be a tough clash, having played against Mark Robins’ side twice for Leeds last season, but in doing so accidentally referred to Elland Road as "our ground."

He said: “It's a difficult place to come, you know. I played here last year, and even at our ground last year when I was playing, they always bring a tough game and (have) lots of transitions.

"They did well in this game and the fans got behind them. Credit to them.”

Despite his slight mishap that shows that Leeds is still important to him, it is no surprise that Gray refers back to those previous encounters against the Sky Blues in the aftermath of another hard-fought game.

In the two games that Mark Robins' side faced off against the Whites last season, Leeds failed to win either match and picked up just one point across the two encounters, with a 1-1 draw at Elland Road in December, and then a 2-1 loss at the CBS Arena in April as the 18-year-old played a full 90 minutes in both games.

Gray is Leeds through-and-through

It should hardly come as a shock that Gray still has the Whites on his mind, as they are his boyhood club and he has grown up around everything Leeds for his whole life up to joining Spurs.

Gray joined the club at under-nine level, and featured across all youth levels before he made his senior debut for the club in the opening game of the Championship season last year, then went on to play 52 times throughout the campaign and pick up the Championship Young Player of the Season, and was named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year.

His dad, Andy, played for the club 38 times across two spells in his career, while his grandad Frank, and his great-uncle Eddie both starred for Leeds in their glory years of the 1970s and 1980s, while the latter was voted as the third-Greatest Leeds player of all time in 2000.

To this day, Archie's three younger brothers all still play for the Whites' academy, and could follow in his footsteps to come through and play for the senior team in the years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur will be bitterly disappointed by Sunday afternoon's home defeat in the North London Derby against fierce rivals Arsenal.

But Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou remained in a bullish mood following his side's loss, and indicated that this will be a good season for him, insisting that he 'always' wins trophies in his second season.

One of the available pieces of silverware for Spurs is the EFL Cup, a competition they won in 2008, the last time they lifted a trophy.

Tottenham's EFL Cup campaign gets underway on Wednesday night, as they travel to Championship side Coventry City, who have not won a second tier game since mid-August.

But Mark Robins' side know how to cause upsets in domestic cup competitions, as proven by their improbable run to the FA Cup semi-finals last term, where they lost to eventual champions Manchester United in dramatic circumstances, so it will not be an easy task for Postecoglou and co to defeat the Sky Blues.

Football League World predicts Spurs' starting 11 to take on Coventry:

Goalkeeper: Fraser Forster

Spurs' usual number one, Gugliemo Vicario, has proven to be a solid presence between the sticks since his arrival from Serie A outfit Empoli in 2023.

But we can expect Vicario to be rested for the EFL Cup clash with the Sky Blues, just as he was during last season's round two tie with Fulham, when he was replaced by Forster.

Forster has been on the bench during three of Spurs' four Premier League games this campaign, and we could see him step up to the starting 11 on Wednesday night.

Right-back: Archie Gray

The Sky Blues faithful will be familiar with Tottenham's summer signing Archie Gray, who lit up the Championship while plying his trade for Leeds United last season.

While Gray was undoubtedly impressive during his first season in senior football last term, there is a gulf in class between the second tier and the Premier League, which is why we haven't seen the 18-year-old handed a start by Postecoglou just yet.

But Wednesday's fixture with familiar opponents offers the Spurs boss the perfect chance to hand Gray the opportunity to play a full 90 minutes for his new club.

Centre-back: Radu Dragusin

After joining Spurs from Serie A side Genoa back in January, centre-back Radu Dragusin, who impressed during the Euros with Romania, has only started five Premier League games for the north London outfit.

An EFL Cup clash against Championship Coventry seems like the ideal scenario for Postecoglou to select a talented player who has not enjoyed as much game time as he would have liked.

Centre-back: Micky van de Ven

After publicly sharing that he 'always wins' trophies in his second season with a football club, Postecoglou will be intent on backing up this claim with Spurs, and the EFL Cup is a competition he should be targeting.

As such, the Spurs boss will want to maintain a strong lineup heading into the Coventry clash, and the selection of regular starter Micky van de Ven could help ensure that his side can retain their usual defensive solidity.

Left-back: Djed Spence

While Tottenham will be keen to progress in the EFL Cup, Postecoglou will also use this test against lower league opposition to take a closer look at players in his squad who do not play week in, week out in the Premier League.

So far this season, Spence has made two top-flight appearances, but both of them have come from the bench, while he could be named in the starting 11 on Wednesday night.

Central midfield: Rodrigo Bentancur

Rodrigo Bentancur is the metronome at the heart of the Spurs midfield, and boasts an illustrious career 2hich includes the three Serie A titles he won with former club Juventus.

It is highly likely that we will see Bentancur in the Spurs starting 11 come Wednesday, while the Sky Blues midfield will find his presence tough to deal with.

Central midfield: Pape Sarr

Similarly to Bentancur, Pape Sarr is key to Tottenham's ability to retain possession, while the fact that he did not start on Sunday could be indicative that he is likely to be named in Postecoglou's 11 on Wednesday.

In fact, since being named in Spurs' starting 11 for a 1-1 draw with Leicester City during the Premier League's opening weekend, Sarr has only appeared as a substitute since, so it will be important for him to earn plenty of minutes against Robins' men.

Lucas Bergvall

Spurs signed 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall from Swedish outfit Djurgarden for a fee of around £8.5m during the summer, and so far he has made three Premier League appearances, but hasn't made a start.

During the recent international break, the youngster appeared for Sweden in Nations League match-ups with both Azerbaijan and Estonia, which showcases his potential.

Postecoglou should be keen to hand Bergvall a starting 11 opportunity in the EFL Cup, while the Spurs faithful will be excited to see the starlet in action.

Right-wing: Brennan Johnson

Brennan Johnson adjusted well to life at Spurs following his move from former club Nottingham Forest during the summer of 2023, and scored five goals as well as creating 10 assists during 32 Premier League outings last term.

During his final top-flight campaign with Forest, he scored eight goals and provided three assists, but he is still yet to find the prolific form he established with the east Midlands outfit in the Championship.

An EFL Cup tie with second tier opposition could prove fruitful for Johnson, who is capable of causing the Sky Blues plenty of problems.

Striker: Timo Werner

While Germany international Timo Werner performs better for Spurs out wide than as an out-and-out striker, he could be set to be given the nod up front on Wednesday night, as Postecoglou is unlikely to select recently injured new signing Dominic Solanke.

Furthermore, now that Heung-Min Son is 32 years old, Tottenham could look to manage his minutes this campaign more so than in previous seasons.

Should Johnson also be selected, then both Werner and the former Forest man could interchange between the wing and the central role, which could prove tough for the Sky Blues to cope with due to the duo's pace.

Left-wing: Wilson Odobert

Wison Odobert produced a return of three goals and two assists in the Premier League for eventually relegated Burnley last term, a feat Spurs were clearly impressed by as they opted to buy the wideman for £25m.

The 19-year-old is yet to make a goal contribution for his new club in three top-flight outings and two starts, so Wednesday evening's meeting with Coventry could see him get off the mark for Postecoglou's men.

Sunderland have carried out some exceptional business over the last few seasons, with a number of cheap deals evolving into key first team players.

Under Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman, the club have been shrewd in the transfer market, and although some have been critical of their spending, nobody can question the quality they have brought in at minimal cost.

While the likes of Trai Hume and Luke O'Nien have flourished since their inexpensive moves, Dennis Cirkin has emerged as a considerable talent since his move from Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs might regret letting Dennis Cirkin leave for Sunderland

Having never made a senior appearance for the club, Tottenham were willing to depart with Cirkin in the summer of 2021. At 19 years of age, the Black Cats pounced on the opportunity to sign the left-back, who had vast potential.

Although Cirkin moved for a reported undisclosed fee, as per BBC Sport, the figure to bring the defender to Wearside cannot have been much, considering the club were in League One.

Indeed, Lee Johnson, who was Sunderland manager at the time, spoke extremely highly of Cirkin on the club's official website: "To get a player of Dennis' quality at 19 speaks wonders in terms of what we're trying to do. He is a top talent, and he's very highly regarded within the game."

Sure enough, Johnson was right and the left-back continued to develop into an outstanding player. Considering his significant potential, Spurs may be rueing the decision to let Cirkin leave.

Dennis Cirkin has showcased his talent despite injury setbacks at Sunderland

Upon his arrival at the Stadium of Light, Johnson wasted no time in slotting Cirkin straight into his side. In the left-back's maiden season at the club, the defender became a stalwart in the Sunderland team and made 37 appearances in their 2021/22 League One promotion campaign.

Cirkin made the leap from League One to the Championship look seamless and benefited from Tony Mowbray's free-flowing system; the left-back was encouraged to get forward and thus contributed five goals and one assist during the 2022/23 season.

Despite his contributions in the 2022/23 campaign, Cirkin could have contributed even more if it were not for a series of injuries that disrupted his season. The left-back suffered a muscle injury, knee injury and concussion which kept him out for several spells.

Unfortunately, Cirkin's luck with injuries got no better and during the 2023/24 season, the left-back underwent surgery on his left hamstring; the injury kept the defender out for the remainder of the season, meaning he was only able to make eight appearances.

Although he had endured a stop-start stint on Wearside, there was never any doubting Cirkin's talent. When fit, he was first choice and had demonstrated his all round ability at left-back.

Dennis Cirkin has been a standout performer in the 2024/25 Championship season

This season, Cirkin has performed at the very top of his game and credit must go to Regis Le Bris for getting the best out of the left-back.

In Sunderland's first game of the season against Cardiff City, the 22-year-old put in a mesmerising performance, which included an assist. Although Luke O'Nien was awarded man of the match, Cirkin was certainly in the running.

Cirkin continued his attacking prowess and got on the scoresheet in the Wearsiders' 4-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. After four games, the left-back has been one of the standout players in the league and is developing at an alarming rate.

If he can remain fit, then the sky is the limit for Cirkin, and with such a high ceiling, Spurs will be watching on with clenched fists.

Cirkin is creating an incredible story line at Sunderland. Having joined the club in League One, he has risen with the club to the top of the Championship.

Despite a series of injuries, the left-back has continued his meteoric rise and is contributing at both ends of the pitch in red and white.

Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray left the club after just one season to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, but Spurs may also be keen on adding his brother to their ranks, Harry Gray.

Archie will hope to realise more of his potential under Ange Postecoglou, but Spurs could reunite the two brothers after reports from TBR Football report that Harry is being eyed as another star to bolster their ranks, with Archie and Lucas Bergvall highlighting their push for more high potential stars.

Archie was Leeds' crown jewel and has penned a six-year deal with Spurs, after they agreed a fee of around £40 million with the West Yorkshire outfit for the 18-year-old, with Joe Rodon returning to Leeds in the other direction for around £10 million on a permanent basis, having been a hugely successful loan signing last year.

At the age of just 18, Gray is already a well-rounded player but with plenty more potential as well. His ability to carry the ball and his first touch is already top drawer. He is a player that is mature beyond his years and capable of imposing himself on a game at either right-back or in his preferred central midfield role.

He is calm and composed on the ball, and demands it from his teammates. Gray's decision-making and speed of thought will only improve in time, as will his physicality; but they are all strong areas of his skill-set for a player of such a young age.

Leeds starlet Harry Gray eyed by Spurs

The family name speaks to the talents of both Archie (pictured above) and Harry Gray at Leeds. They are in good company as the grandnephews of Leeds legend Eddie Gray, with another favourite with the Whites faithful in Frank Gray as their grandfather, and they are also Andy Gray's son; all of whom played for Leeds at one stage or another.

Spurs are reportedly keen to remain in the loop with Leeds when it comes to Archie's younger brother, with TBR Football reporting that they are already informing Leeds that they would like to sign the young striker.

The 15-year-old is the spitting image of his sibling, and has been linked with a move away previously, with Man City one interested party potentially. He is also said to be attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League, much like his older brother.

TBR Football understand that the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle United are also very keen on the talented youngster and are monitoring his progress with Leeds.

He does not turn 16 until next month but is already playing in the U-18 Premier League and was involved in pre-season with Leeds' first-team as well.

He came on against the likes of Harrogate Town, but is a few years away from the first-team yet. However, if he's anything like his brother, then he has an extremely bright future as a footballer.

He would also become the fifth Gray to appear in a Leeds shirt if he plays a part this season, unless Premier League interest grows too strong to ignore.

Archie Gray and Harry Gray's potential

Crucially, both Gray brothers are only going to improve from here, but their priority should be with a club that will offer regular game time and a clear pathway into the first-team.

For Archie, Spurs could be the best of the Premier League's elite in that sense under Postecoglou. Regular enough game time is paramount for him to realise his enormous potential.

If they can offer Gray and his brother the footballing opportunities they require to continue their development and to continue improving, then this could be a perfect fit for either youngster.

Archie was almost ever-present with Leeds during their promotion push last season, which may tempt Harry into staying, knowing that Daniel Farke's side will offer him a pathway into the first-team fold with Leeds.

His family's legacy at Elland Road is also something he will be acutely aware of and the fact that he is one of the most exciting talents to have emerged through the club's academy in a generation, alongside Archie.

The 2017/18 season was not one that went at all well from a Stoke City perspective.

Heading into the campaign, the Potters were preparing for their tenth consecutive season in the top-flight of English football.

As a result of the financial benefits that came with their top tier status, the club were able to invest heavily in a number of new signings during the summer of 2017.

However, not all of those signings would work out for Stoke City, which come the end of the campaign would prove very costly indeed.

One player who certainly fell into that particular scenario in Staffordshire, was Kevin Wimmer.

Stoke paid big money for Kevin Wimmer

After spending the last two years at Tottenham, it was confirmed that Wimmer had joined the Potters in August 2017.

Despite the fact he had never been a regular for Spurs during his time there, it was reported that Stoke still paid a fee of around £18million for the centre-back.

In doing so, the Austrian became one of the club's most expensive signings ever, and it would prove to be an expensive one in many ways.

Initially, Wimmer was a regular feature in the Stoke side, often as a starter, under then manager Mark Hughes.

However, he struggled to impress with his performances, and came in for some significant criticism from the fanbase, as the Potters battled relegation right from the start of the campaign.

Indeed, after Hughes was sacked and replaced in January 2018 by Paul Lambert as manager, the centre-back did not make another appearance that season.

The new manager reportedly also put Wimmer on a special fitness regime, further highlighting his problems at the club.

The centre-back's removal from the side did coincide with some improved defensive performances, although Stoke could not muster enough in attack needed to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Even so, the drop-down a division did nothing to improve the Austrian's fortunes at the Bet365 Stadium.

If anything, things would only serve to get worse with regards to this deal, after the Potters dropped into the second-tier of English football.

Kevin Wimmer played no part for the Potters in the Championship

Not long after relegation was confirmed for Stoke, Wimmer was on the move, as he joined Hannover on loan for the 2018/19 season, with an option to buy.

However, the centre-back failed to make enough appearances for the club to secure a permanent move, as they suffered relegation to the German second-tier.

With Stoke themselves still in the Championship, he would again be loaned out for the 2019/20 campaign, this time to Belgian side Mouscron.

But with the season in Belgium ended prematurely due to the pandemic, Wimmer returned to the Potters, and spent the first-half of the 2020/21 season with the Championship side.

During that time though, he did not add another appearance to his tally for the club, before once again being sent out on loan to German second-tier side Karlsruher in February 2021.

That would all but prove to be an end to Wimmer's association with Stoke, as his contract with the club was terminated by mutual consent in May 2021, freeing him to move to Rapid Wien in Austria.

As a result, the defender's time with the club ended with the Potters having paid £18million for him to make 19 appearances in a season in which they were relegated from the Premier League.

After that, he remained on their books for three more years as the club languished in the Championship, without playing any part in their attempts to win promotion.

Following that he would then depart the club for nothing, denying them the chance to make any sort of return on their investment in him.

Leyton Orient are set to complete a deal to bring Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Josh Keeley to the club on loan.

That’s according to football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, who claims the Republic of Ireland under-21 international will be making the move to Brisbane Road before tonight’s transfer deadline, after signing a new deal with the Premier League club.

The 21-year-old is yet to play for the Spurs first-team, but has featured regularly for the club’s development squad in Premier League 2, as well as featuring for Barnet in the National League last season.

Richie Wellens has made the move for another goalkeeper to add to his ranks with the O’s, after some questionable performances from Middlesbrough loanee Zach Hemming.

Richie Wellens moves to address Leyton Orient goalkeeping issues

Much was expected of Hemming when he made the move from The Riverside earlier in the summer, but the early signs have been far from promising from the 24-year-old.

A howler on the opening day of the season against Bolton Wanderers handed the visitors all three points to start the campaign, with a number of shaky performances to follow.

The shot-stopper was also at fault for Birmingham City’s opener in the Blues' 2-1 victory over Orient last weekend, with a ball played out from the back being intercepted, before Keshi Anderson found the back of the net.

Wellens was left fuming post-match, with the former Doncaster Rovers boss not holding back in his analysis of his goalkeeper’s performance.

He said: “There is no hiding from it, our goalkeeper [Zach Hemming] has cost us points. We could easily be sitting here with six or seven points, so he needs to look at himself in the mirror and get better but I thought our response was fantastic.

"I thought we were the better team. They have quality, obviously, but for me, we were far better and the second goal was a bit of a killer for us.

"But we should have got something out of the game. I’m disappointed but proud at the same time. You only have to look at what they have and what we’ve got. We need more from our subs. I’ve been disappointed with them so far."

Josh Keeley can provide competition for Leyton Orient number one spot

While Orient already have Hemming, Sam Howes and Noah Phillips as options between the sticks, the decision has reportedly been made to add Keeley as another option for the season ahead.

The competition for the role of number one looks set to hot up over the next few weeks, with Hemming likely to face stiff competition from the Tottenham Hotspur man.

Having joined Barnet in the most-recent January transfer window, the 21-year-old kept three clean sheets in 18 appearances for the Bees, as they lost out in the National League playoffs.

With two further clean sheets for Spurs’ development side this season, the goalkeeper could be a handy pickup for the O’s to strengthen an area of the pitch which has been troublesome so far this season.

Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City are two of the clubs interested in a loan move for Tottenham attacking midfielder Alfie Devine after his proposed move to Birmingham City fell through earlier today.

Alasdair Gold reported via X that both Blackburn and Swansea will face competition from Parma, as well as sides in Germany and from others across the continent to seal a deal for the 20-year-old, with Spurs set to loan him out.

It looked as if Devine was set for a move to League One with Birmingham City, but it was reported by Football Insider earlier today that his proposed move to St Andrew's had fallen through, and that Saudi Premier League team Al-Ettifaq, who are managed by Steven Gerrard, were keen on a potential swoop.

Transfer interest in Alfie Devine

It was reported by Alasdair Gold that Spurs originally planned to keep Devine at the club, but that changed this month and that has led to plenty of loan interest in the youngster.

With the 20-year-old's deal to join Birmingham City collapsing, it's reported that other clubs have been alerted to his availability, and Championship duo Blackburn and Swansea are interested in a deadline day swoop.

Devine had two loan spells last season, starting the season on loan in League One with Port Vale, before joining Plymouth in the Championship, where he helped keep the Pilgrims in the Championship with his two assists in 15 appearances.

The youngster is highly-rated at Spurs, as seen by Ange Postecoglou planning to keep him at the club initially, and he'll really be looking to kick on this season after getting his first taste of Championship football last season.

However, with reported interest from Italy, Germany and across Europe, it means that Blackburn and Swansea face a battle to sign him, and it's set to be a tense end to the transfer window thanks to the number of clubs interested.

Alfie Devine would be a great addition for either Blackburn or Swansea

Swansea have made no secret about their desire to sign an attacking midfielder, and they have been linked with a move for Brentford's Myles-Peart Harris, but Devine could well be an upgrade on him thanks to his Championship experience.

Meanwhile, John Eustace is set for a busy end to the transfer window and is looking to bolster his squad with a number of exciting young options being lined up according to recent reports, including a move for Fulham's Martial Godo.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs would prefer to keep Devine in the English pyramid or whether they'd want him to experience football abroad, but they certainly aren't short of options, and it's set to be a busy end to the transfer window for the 20-year-old.