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Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray, 17, is apparently a target for Liverpool, who are considering a high-profile trade.
After trading for all of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, James Milner, and Leighton Clarkson, the Reds had a revitalized and youthful-looking midfield going into the 2023–24 campaign.
After a lengthy legal battle, Jude Bellingham, an Englishman, signed a contract with Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Liverpool invested in four new midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
With Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones, and Harvey Elliott at his disposal, Jurgen Klopp has swiftly established Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, and Gravenberch as regular starters.
Nevertheless, Thiago’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign. He has been sidelined since April with a hip injury, and he is still waiting for his first appearance of the season.
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The Spaniard is poised to depart Liverpool on a free transfer, with Juventus and Inter Milan showing interest, as he turns 33 in January and is unlikely to recover from his most recent injury until then.
The Reds will therefore probably look to bolster their engine room even further, and the Daily Mail claims that Leeds youngster Gray has been recognized as a potential star in the making.
The midfielder, who was born in 2006, saw action as a substitute for the Whites in the Premier League seasons of 2021–22 and 2022–23. Early in the latter season, he committed to a two-year scholarship.
Gray did not make his Whites premier league debut prior to their relegation, but he is having a breakout season in the Championship under Daniel Farke, having already made 17 senior appearances across all competitions.
The young player started the Championship for the thirteenth time this season in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle, which helped Leeds secure third place in the standings before the international break.
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In addition to playing as a number six and eight, Gray has recently been used as a right-back. Last month, he earned his first three caps for England’s Under-19s in three European Championship qualifying matches.
Gray signed his first professional contract at Elland Road in the middle of the 2022–2023 season, although Liverpool is reportedly planning to move when those terms expire at the end of the 2024–2025 season.
But Leeds are reportedly willing to wait for at least £40 million and possibly even up to £50 million to sell their highly regarded academy product in order to keep Gray.
The Whites acknowledge that, given that Everton and Crystal Palace are also closely monitoring his achievements, they might have to consider bids in 2024.
For this month’s international break, which sees Simon Rusk’s team play Romania (November 15), Japan (November 18), and Mexico (November 21) in Marbella, Gray has been called up to the England Under-19s side.
