Brentford appear to be closing in on the signing of Leeds starlet Archie Gray in a club-record deal, talkSPORT understands.
Thomas Frank’s side have struck a £40million agreement with the Yorkshire outfit including add-ons.
A medical has been scheduled by Brentford for Gray, who has agreed personal terms over a move to the Gtech Community Stadium.
Should they secure his services, it would smash their current transfer record, which stands at £30m having agreed a £30m deal with Belgian side Club Brugge for Brazilian forward Igor Thiago in February.
But Brentford are aware that one of their Premier League rivals could still hijack their deal, with Tottenham known to be keen on the 18-year-old as they consider matching the offer on the table.
Meanwhile Gray is also on the radar of Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham.
However as it stands, it is Brentford that are in pole position to nab the teenager.
It is understood that Gray had been happy to remain at Leeds, but he has been left impressed by Brentford’s plan for him.
The England youth international only made his senior debut on the opening day of the 2023/24 season.
He went on to make 52 appearances for the Whites in all competitions – chipping in with a goal and two assists.
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Starting the campaign as a central midfielder, Gray went on to make the majority of his appearances at right-back, showcasing his versatility.
Leeds had hoped to secure Premier League football for themselves, but missed out on automatic promotion to Leicester and Ipswich.
Despite making it to the play-off final, Daniel Farke’s side were beaten by Southampton, subjecting them to at least one more year in the second-tier.
It is believed that Gray’s departure would see them comply with Profit and Sustainability rules, which would put them in a strong position should Crysencio Summerville be subject to any offers.
Club chairman Paraag Marathe failed to rule out Gray from departing Elland Road last month.
He said: “It’s a little too early to answer specific questions. I can’t talk on specific players right now.
“If I can paint the big picture, there are certain things we need to do and we’ll make sure we’re fully compliant with P&S.
“There are certain trade-offs we have to make. We have to get to the drawing board to work out which moves we have to make.
“Obviously, Archie’s a tremendous player, but every season brings change. I can’t yet comment but we’ll see what happens.”
As for Brentford, they will be looking to improve on last term’s 16th place finish in the Premier League.