Leeds have now rejected a club-record bid from Brentford for Archie Gray – allowing Tottenham to swoop in, talkSPORT understands.
Gray, who had been undergoing a medical after the Bees offered to pay £40million including add-ons, has now been left in limbo.
It’s believed the starlet has a release clause in his Leeds contract that expires today, with Brentford offering over that to get a deal done quickly.
But now it been shot down over issues with the payment structure.
Leeds academy product Gray had been offered a contract worth £75,000-a-week, an attractive package for the 18-year-old.
The deal was set to smash Brentford’s current transfer record, which stands at £30m when they agreed a deal with Belgian side Club Brugge for Brazilian forward Igor Thiago in February.
The Bees will now be forced to the drawing board to get the deal done.
They are aware that one of their Premier League rivals could still hijack their deal, and Tottenham known to be keen on the wonderkid are now in negotiations with Leeds.
Gray is also on the radar of Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham.
It is understood that Gray had been happy to remain at Leeds, but was impressed by Brentford’s plan for him.
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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.
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 PSR.
“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.
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