Leeds Live

Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur have both benefitted from the recent business they have done together during recent transfer windows.

Archie Gray swapped Elland Road for Spurs last summer and is already an established Premier League player. Manor Solomon moved in the opposite direction and almost instantly became one of the best wingers in the Championship.

After making a loan move become permanent - which Leeds could repeat with Soloman this summer, Joe Rodon has again been a mainstay at the heart of the Whites defence. Equally, Djed Spence spent time in West Yorkshire playing alongside Gray last year, and both are now doing so again in a Tottenham shirt. Here are four other Spurs players who could join Leeds next season...

Antonin Kinsky

One that would depend on Premier League promotion if there is even remotely a chance of happening, but Antonin Kinsky could do with playing in the Premier League rather than sitting on the Spurs bench. The goalkeeper made eight appearances before Guglielmo Vicario returned from injury and will now have to settle for playing in the Europa League for the coming months.

But if they do not qualify for European competition next season, which with Tottenham in 12th is hardly inconceivable, then a loan could appeal. Leeds need a new goalkeeper next season, meaning a move may suit both clubs.

Ben Davies

It would not be a loan, with Ben Davies in the final few months of his Tottenham Hotspur contract, but the Wales international is still a Spurs player for now. The last central defender Leeds signed from north London is fairing well, and Davies often partners Joe Rodon for their country, notably keeping a clean sheet away in Turkey during the November break.

There were links during this January and the last winter window, too. Davies turns 32 in late April and can also play as a left-back, meaning they could provide experience and versatility, albeit with a questionable injury record.

Yang Min-hyeok

Leeds may not necessarily need a winger, such is their depth out wide, if Soloman stays, but Yang has impressed this month since joining Queens Park Rangers on loan. Should the form he showed in his only start to date against Derby County, assisting a goal and providing a threat throughout, the natural next step would be a Premier League loan.

Yang will still be a teenager for much of next season and already has undoubted ability. He proved too good for the K-League, scoring 12 goals and assisting another six, and could well have outgrown the second tier by May.

Former Leeds United star Archie Gray has been handed another disappointment with Tottenham as they suffered defeat to strugglers Leicester City.

The Foxes ended a run of nine games without a win under Ruud van Nistelrooy after coming from behind to win 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. Gray featured at right-back and has proved his importance to Ange Postecoglou, who is under increasing pressure, after featuring prominently during an injury crisis in North London.

Gray progressed through the Leeds academy before becoming a first-team regular under Daniel Farke and established himself as a fan favourite which saw his departure in the summer disappoint supporters.

Jamie Vardy cancelled out Richarlison's opener as the 38-year-old ghosted between Ben Davies and Gray to bundle the ball over the line. Minutes later, the strugglers completed the turnaround when Bobby Reid teed up Bilal El Khannous.

For the versatility and reliability of the 18-year-old, Spurs continue to struggle with Sunday's defeat a fourth straight in the Premier League.

After enduring a difficult start to his career with Postecoglou's side, there was speculation over a possible return. However, the Leeds boss shut down the mumurs.

"I don’t speak about other players who are under contract at other clubs," Farke said. "I’m a bit reluctant to do any comments who are not under contract anymore.

"Our fingers are crossed for Archie and his whole career. If you want some recommendation, he already has my telephone number but I keep it pretty private what I recommend."

As for Postecoglou, the Spurs boss still believes in his players and praised them for their commitment despite a poor run of results. Yeah, it hurts," he said. "It hurts a lot. The players gave everything again.

"We are going to look at a lot of things, but in terms of effort I can't ask anymore of this group, things just didn't go our way today. "We created some good opportunities and unfortunately things just didn't drop for us because not because the players weren't trying and that's the main thing.

"The players are giving everything they can. That is all we can ask for as a football club and me as a manager. They are trying their hardest and that is all anyone can ask for.

"You can analyse the goals, they were disappointing goals for us to concede, but I thought we had enough chances in the game to come out on top.

Former Leeds United ace Archie Gray has hit his lowest point with Tottenham during their 3-2 loss to Everton.

The teenage sensation had risen through Leeds' academy before becoming a consistent starter under Daniel Farke. The Durham-born defender had become a favourite amongst Leeds fans - with many left disappointed when Gray left for Tottenham last summer.

Although Leeds were to earn a good chunk of money for an academy product, the Elland Road faithful knew they were letting go of a player who had great potential. The youngster has played every minute since December 12 for Tottenham after proving himself as a deserved starter under Ange Postecoglou. However, a blunder against Everton looks to be his first big slip-up.

It was a case of Gray being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When defending a cross, the 18-year-old stuck out his leg at the worst time and accidentally hit the ball into his own goal. It only added further pain onto the travelling Spurs fans as it put the scoreline at 3-0 before halftime.

Fortunately for Gray, his own-goal was not the talking point from the match. A further defeat under Postecoglou has the Australian on thin ice. His philosophy of football, which he swears by and won't change, is not working like he planned it out to.

When Gray was struggling for game time early into his tenure in North London, there was speculation that Leeds boss Farke could bring him back. But this was quickly shut down by the German.

He said: "I don’t speak about other players who are under contract at other clubs. I’m a bit reluctant to do any comments who are not under contract anymore.

"Our fingers are crossed for Archie and his whole career. If you want some recommendation, he already has my telephone number but I keep it pretty private what I recommend."

Leeds United may be on alert to an old transfer avenue opening up again - the possibility of signing Ben Davies from Tottenham Hotspur.

Reports have suggested Leeds have been keeping tabs on Spurs defender Davies. Reports of the transfer first emerged in January 2024, yet we are 12 months down the line and no move has taken place as of yet.

But the prospective transfer has not been a simple one as the Wales international's recent injuries have coincided poorly with the opening of the market. Last year the full-back suffered a hamstring injury, over the summer it was calf issues and then again since December 5th he has not appeared for Spurs with another hamstring problem.

However, Spurs reporter Paul O'Keefe stated prior to Tottenham's Northern London derby with Arsenal on Wednesday night that Davies is close returning to Ange Postecoglou's squad. He wasn't included against Arsenal but a return to fitness appears to be imminent.

It is an update that could yet see Leeds rethink their priorities before the end of the current transfer window. Daniel Farke is missing Junior Firpo through his ongoing recovery from a hamstring injury.

In place he has used Sam Byram, but options remain scarce as when cover has been needed midfielder Max Wober has been turned to. Davies could alleviate the problem whilst providing much-needed top-flight experience to this season's Premier League promotion push.

Leeds United loan star Manor Solomon has admitted he is open to staying at the club beyond his current loan spell, with a permanent switch to Elland Road a possibility. The 25-year-old Israel international arrived in the summer from Tottenham Hotspur on a season long loan deal.

Unable to force his way into Ange Postecoglou's Spurs first team, Solomon was sent out on loan and while it is just for a season, there is a real chance he has played his last game for Tottenham unless the current manager has a significant change of heart or Spurs have a change of manager, with the winger having been given little chance by the Australian manager so far in his time in north London.

So what chance of staying on at Leeds and, with all hope, being part of the Whites' return to the Premier League next season? It appears a distinct possibility on Solomon's part, with the player and his partner having settled well in the area. Recent form has certainly helped in that regard, with Solomon's run in the starting XI and contribution to help Leeds go top of the Championship putting a broad smile on the player's face.

The frustration that greeted back and hamstring injuries earlier in the campaign and a subsequent struggle to force his way back into the starting line-up after some mixed displays, has given way to an invigorated player, with a new love and a new determination.

“I love it here. I love the fans. I love the club. I love the players, the manager. Especially now, I’m really enjoying it and I love living here," explains Solomon, speaking to the Athletic. "Of course, it’s different to London, less things to do and we have less friends here. All the Israelis, they live in London, but we found our place here.

As Leeds United fans know only too well, Archie Gray is capable of performing well in multiple positions. The England Under-21 international lined up at left-back for Tottenham Hotspur last night as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Italian outfit Roma in the Europa League.

It was Gray's 12th outing for Spurs since joining the Premier League side in a £40m deal from the Whites last summer. Gray, primarily a central midfielder, was often used by United in the right-back berth.

His maturity and flexibility to play numerous roles has earned him plenty of praise from Spurs chief Ange Postecoglou. Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Tottenham's forthcoming encounter with Fulham, the Australian said: "There's a real maturity at only 18.

"We asked him to play left-back, he has never played that position in his life but does it with a real efficiency and calmness. I am so excited by Archie and that's another positive for us that we have another 18-year-old who just plays and no one mentions that he is 18, they just measure his performance and, like I said, I am asking him to do different jobs.

"It would probably be more comfortable for him if he was settled in one position but he is playing football at a really high level in Europe and the Premier League. That's going to set us up really well for the player that he is going to become. I thought Lucas [Bergvall] was really good when he came on last night, he made an impact. With everything else we're building, there is some real excitement around the young players as well."

Mats Hummels snatched a late equaliser for Claudio Ranieri's Roma to frustrate Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. "It was a tough game for us," acknowledged Gray, who has yet to start for Tottenham in the league. "We had to dig deep in the first 20 minutes and the last 20 minutes.

"Apart from that, I thought played well. We were good on the counter-attacks. But the last moment cost us, and we will learn from the mistakes.

"Roma are a top team and sometimes top teams will have spells attacking us. Sometimes you can do your best and still concede."

With the January transfer window fast approaching, now is the time for players to be linked with clubs ahead of a potential move at the start of 2025.

One of the names that has been linked with Leeds United is certainly a familiar one in Archie Gray. The academy graduate only left the club in the summer, but has been touted for a sensational loan return.

The England youth international made over 50 appearances in his one and only season in the first-team. He played a massive part in Daniel Farke's side making the Championship play-off final, losing 1-0 to Southampton at Wembley.

The 2023/24 Leeds United Young Player of the Year joined Tottenham in July for around £40 million. The deal also saw Joe Rodon move the other way after impressing on loan at Elland Road last season.

The Whites are not the only side linked Gray as clubs in England and Spain are also interested in a loan move for the 18-year-old. With all that in mind, LeedsLive takes a look at a potential return to Leeds for Gray...

How he has settled into life in North London?

Gray has only appeared in five of Spurs' 11 Premier League fixtures so far, amassing 41 minutes in the top flight. He has, however, played the full 90 minutes in all four Europa League games as well as their Carabao Cup wins over Coventry City and Manchester City.

The son of Andy Gray has been deployed in numerous positions in his limited game time. He has played at right-back, left-back, central midfield and even centre-back (during a Europa League fixture against Ferencvaros).

Despite only making sporadic appearances so far, Gray could be in-line to make his first league start in the coming weeks. With Rodrigo Bentancur serving a seven-match ban for using a racial slur on Uruguayan TV, it gives Ange Postecoglu a decision to make on the former Leeds starlet.

Other clubs linked with Gray

As mentioned earlier, there are a few clubs that are also interested in taking Gray on loan for the rest of the season. Leeds will face competition from other sides in England and Spain.

Leicester City and Southampton will hope to keep the current England U21 International in the Premier League. Tottenham may hope for the youngster to get regular minutes in the top-flight.

Sevilla has also been mentioned as a potential destination for Gray to spend the second half of this campaign. This would allow him to cut his teeth in another league, whilst also playing at a high-level.

Daniel Farke refuses to rule out move

Farke was asked last month on whether a move could be facilitated in January. He refused to be drawn into any speculation and gave a restricted answer. He said: "I don’t speak about other players who are under contract at other clubs. I’m a bit reluctant to do any comments who are not under contract anymore.

"Our fingers are crossed for Archie and his whole career. If you want some recommendation, he already has my telephone number but I keep it pretty private what I recommend."

Former Leeds winger gives his opinion

Lee Sharpe have expressed his thoughts on the versatile teenager's potential return to Yorkshire. He believes that a January move would be best for all parties.

"I think it would be unbelievable if Leeds could take Archie on loan in the second half of the season," Sharpe stated. "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."

Archie Gray made his full debut for Tottenham Hotspur last night in a game which kept him busy and found him exposed for Coventry City’s only goal. The London side eventually progressed to the next round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 win that had seen them remain 1-0 down until the 88th minute.

The Leeds United academy graduate has appeared from the bench for Spurs this season, but Wednesday night’s trip to Coventry in the cup presented him with a first start. The 18-year-old began at right-back with his performance generating fives and sixes from the media’s post-match player ratings.

Football.London awarded him a five and said: “A busy game at right-back and Coventry gave him plenty of problems down that flank with their pace including finding that space behind him for the goal.”

The Standard gave him a six and said: “Comfortable in possession and looked dangerous when he burst inside, while his long passing was brave, but caught up the pitch for the Coventry goal, which came down his flank.”

Meanwhile, 90min gave him a five too, saying: “Given no end of trouble by [Norman] Bassette down that flank.”

After the game, Ange Postecoglou was not asked about Gray directly, but mentioned him in a couple of answers about different players. He said: “Look, it wasn't an easy night for us, as I said, credit to Coventry, but, you know, a lot of guys getting first starts.

“There's some positives in there with Archie and Lucas [Bergvall] and these guys getting some significant game time for us.”

Later, he said: “We already had a couple of injuries and I had some pretty good players on the bench I thought could make an impact, but it doesn't take away from Lucas's performance. He was outstanding tonight.

“They're going to play a lot of football for us and hopefully getting through tonight, whether it's 90 minutes for Archie or 60, 70 for Lucas, will put them in a good space.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou admits he loves watching Archie Gray and his fellow Spurs youngsters in training, and says the former Leeds United star behaves like a more senior player.

Leeds academy graduate Gray was the first of a number of big-money departures from Elland Road this summer, with the 18-year-old the subject of plenty of interest following a breakthrough season under Daniel Farke. Spurs won the race for his signature, with Gray joining youngsters Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert in Postecoglou's first-team plans.

It's a big step up for the Leeds fan favourite, and he has naturally had less gametime so far with Tottenham as he settles into life in the Premier League. But Postecoglou has been impressed with his attitude in training, and will continue to give him chances to show what he can do on the pitch.

"What I'm trying to do, which is what I've done wherever I've been irrespective of my tenure, is build teams that are going to be challenging over a course of time," said Postecoglou. "All teams that do that seem to grow together, so you need that element of youth for it to come to fruition as you go along.

"It has to be a combination of both. When do you hit the sweet spot when you have enough experience in the building? That's hopefully when it all goes together, and when the experienced players come to the end of a cycle, you've got the rest coming through. I've always done it and it's a balancing act.

"I'm really excited about the young players we've brought in and the ones who are coming in, and look, another manager might be the beneficiary of them, I don't know. But in the course of time they're going to be really good footballers and make an impact. They'll only develop if they play, so we've got to give them the opportunity to play.

"The three we've brought in, with Mikey [Moore] and young Will Lankshear as well, Wilson, Archie, Lucas, I just love watching them in training at the moment. They want to play, they want to make an impact. They don't look or behave like 18, 19-year-olds. Which is great for me. When they're 21, they're hopefully going to be flying and it's part of our responsibility to develop them. If you want to have a successful period, you can't just bring in experienced players to have one hit at success."

Spurs have perhaps had a slower start than some fans would have expected, but Postecoglou has encouraged Gray and other youngsters at the club to learn from more experienced members of the squad, and play without fear.

"It's always great to break stereotypes," he added. "You definitely need the experience. Having winners in the group helps that process because when a young guy comes in, if he's got somebody there who's already won things, he kind of learns the behaviours so you do need both. But I've always liked the fearlessness and naivety of young players. They haven't felt the pain of losing something. I like the fact that they're a little bit fearless."

Leeds United did not need to sell Archie Gray to Tottenham Hotspur to balance the books this summer, with the decision to leave the club ultimately the player's. That's the verdict of Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear, who in a wide-ranging interview with The Square Ball podcast, has given an insight into the deal which took Leeds' brightest young talent to Tottenham Hotspur for £40m.

The 18-year-old's transfer to Tottenham in the summer was the one deal that hit hardest for the Leeds supporters as they watched a homegrown talent with a close family connection to the club, sold for what looked like a necessary deal as Leeds scrambled to avoid breaking Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Kinnear admits sales were needed at Leeds this summer, but says two sales from a list of players would have sufficed and Gray's sale, while financially beneficial, was not necessary and the club had not planned on losing their prized teenage asset.

"Leeds United didn't approach any club to sell Archie Gray," explained Kinnear. "Normally you offer a player around or speak to the agent, we could have kept Archie Gray.

"The deal is life changing and Archie and his dad handled the situation impeccably. He wasn't forced out and we said if it doesn't feel right come back and train, but we don't begrudge him that move."

Ultimately the money from the sale of Gray to Spurs allowed Leeds to manage their PSR responsibilities, with Kinnear explaining the benefits of selling a player such as Gray.

He added: "Archie is very valuable from a PSR perspective because he's academy produced so there's no amortisation, there's no book value to him at all. So all of the revenue generated from the sale goes to hit the PSR target.

"The PSR targets are really cruel. To come down from a world were you have a gap from one three-year rolling number to another three-year rolling number, plus the fact you lose all your TV revenue makes it really challenging to stay within those limits, which we have done, but the only way is to sell players."

Kinnear also went on to explain how two sales of other squad players would have also allowed Leeds to meet their PSR target. Kinnear explained; "Two key sales would have done it, it didn't need to be before June 30. We didn't have to sell Archie Gray.

"It could have been Pascal, Willie, Max Wober, but the reality is when you get relegated ever single club has to sell players. We didn't need cash, but there was a PSR gap and we had the issue of players wanting to leave."

Placing the decision firmly in the Gray camp for him to leave the club, Kinnear is keen to point out the teenager left with the blessings of everyone and they understood how he couldn't turn down the chance to go to one of the Premier League's big six with European football awaiting.

The Leeds CEO also revealed how the Whites had fought off competition from two European giants and a host of Premier League teams to get Gray to sign his last contract at Elland Road just months earlier.

"Archie Gray is one of the greatest English talents in the game at the moment," concluded Kinnear.. "When he is signing a new contract he and his representatives are not prepared to be trapped in the Championship, they are just not.

"At that time when we did that new contract Archie Gray could have joined any club in the country. Real Madrid were interested in Archie Gray, Bayern Munich were interested. the way we were able to keep him was threefold.

"One we have him a rather attractive financial offer which matches what he would have been offered in the Premier League. The second was we levied the pathway into the first team which we felt he had at Leeds United and the fact he had a relationship with the club.

"We also had to construct a contract which he was happy with and wasn't going to block what he saw as his natural development. If you don't do that you simply lose them. Archie Gray is a player who will ultimately play for Real Madrid or Bayern Munich."