Leeds United: New Archie Gray exit claims emerge with fresh Premier League interest | OneFootball

The in-demand midfielder has attracted further interest

Highlights

After failing to clinch an immediate return to the Premier League at the hands of Southampton in last season's play-off final on Wembley Way, Leeds United are bracing for impact in the summer transfer window, with Archie Gray set to be in-demand after his breakout season caught the eye of Chelsea amongst others.

It seems likely that star winger Crysencio Summerville, who was crowned as the Championship Player of the Season following a 20-goal haul, will depart for a top-flight transfer in the coming months, while Ilian Meslier is of interest to Roberto De Zerbi at Marseille.

Academy graduate Gray is another player with noted admirers after making 52 appearances across all competitions at the age of 18, often deputising in a less-familar right-back role en-route to winning the division's Young Player of the Year award.

It has been claimed in a recent report from TEAMTalk that a three-way race for Gray's signature is composed of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, the latter of which could materialise as a similar situation to that of former Birmingham City prodigy Jude Bellingham.

Chelsea interested in transfer for Leeds United's Archie Gray

According to the Telegraph, Chelsea are the latest club interested in securing the teenager's services following the recent appointment of Enzo Maresca, who will be familiar with Gray after his promotion exploits with Leicester City last term.

Unsurprisingly, the Italian is also keen on bringing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Stamford Bridge, but would likely be unable to acquire both midfield talents this summer and the Foxes starlet is also linked with a move to Brighton and Hove Albion. Although Chelsea is said to be his preferred move in one report, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that a deal to Brighton is well advanced now, with medicals scheduled and Jakub Moder, plus £25m, heading in the opposite direction.

Chelsea's pursuit of Dewsbury-Hall could have a knock-on effect for Leeds, who have the ball firmly in their court after smartly striking a deal with Gray last season that sees him contracted at Elland Road until 2028.

The report adds that Leeds are demanding a fee well above £30m amid domestic and continental interest and Chelsea, despite already possessing an array of midfield options, are keen to still bolster their squad further after qualifying for the Europa Conference League.

Leeds United's Archie Gray should rebuff Chelsea transfer interest

The appeal of a summer switch for Gray is understandable given the height of his footballing ceiling, and in particular, Borussia Dortmund's interest could be especially captivating in light of their development of England star Bellingham.

However, Gray will need to ask himself if a move to Chelsea, who have notoriously - and unsustainably - stockpiled young talent over the last two years, is really cohesive to his progression.

Chelsea's existing engine room consists of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez alongside younger options in Andrey Santos, Lesley Ugochukwu and Carney Chukwumeka, so it's difficult to see what the short and long-term plan for Gray would truly look like.

With superb match intelligence and a comfortable sense of assurance in possession, Gray's intuitive talent extends beyond his youthful years and is suggestive of a skill-set readily-capable of stepping up to the Premier League, even though Leeds failed to do so.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Chelsea should be the next decision of the England youth international and nor should Manchester City, for that matter, who may well be deterred from given the recent fate of Kalvin Phillips.