Leeds United: Archie Gray tipped for Tottenham, Real Madrid pathway | OneFootball

Chris Waddle has tipped Archie Gray to follow in the footsteps of some of European football's biggest names

Former Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder Chris Waddle has tipped Archie Gray to follow in the footsteps of some of European football's biggest names after a stellar first season of regular football.

Leeds United may have missed out on their goal of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking, but last season's squad at Elland Road was full of shining lights that grabbed the headlines and the attention of clubs higher up the footballing pyramid than the Championship.

Gray is no exception to that rule either, with interest in the versatile youngster gathering pace for a lengthy period of time now, and it only looks set to intensify over the course of the summer window.

Chris Waddle issues Archie Gray verdict as Tottenham circle on Leeds United sensation

Spurs are one of several English top flight and European outfits monitoring the 18-year-old's situation in West Yorkshire, and have made their intentions clear on a deal for some period of time, with interest going back to early March.

The North London side have a knack for developing some of the best homegrown talent before making a mass amount of profit later on in their career, and Waddle believes Gray could follow that mould if he was to be signed by Ange Postecoglou.

"I’ve seen enough of Archie Gray to say that he is a very good player. He’s a versatile player that can perform in a number of roles: midfield, full-back. That tells you two things about him: his manager trusts him to perform in numerous roles and he has the intelligence to do it. That’s rare for a player of eighteen-years-old. He was ever-present in that Leeds United team last season, so again, that’s a good sign," Waddle said, via Genting Casino.

"His best role is in central midfield, and I think that's where he prefers to play," he added.

"He's an ideal Tottenham project. Tottenham have a history of buying young players and giving them an opportunity. We’ve seen Tottenham make some very canny moves in the transfer market over the years with younger players. They can obviously see the potential that’s there, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Gray followed the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric by joining Real Madrid for a massive fee if he lives up to his potential," the 63-year-old claimed.

"Tottenham can obviously see his potential. He was probably the pick of The Championship players in terms of his age and ability. I think he could easily step up to the level of the Premier League," Waddle continued.

"Whether he gets straight into the Tottenham team is a different question. I’m sure they will have a precise development plan for him which could see him join another Premier League club on loan."

Modric, Bale comparison showcases Archie Gray's potential

Everybody connected with Leeds and the Championship in general is aware of Gray's potential to make it to the very top level.

However, to be compared with the likes of Modric and Bale - despite holding different attributes to the former Spurs and Real Madrid duo - so early on in his career is extremely high praise, and will no doubt fuel even more motivation to succeed with his boyhood club next season as Daniel Farke looks to pick up his squad after the disappointment of losing to Southampton at Wembley last month.

Previous reports have stated that Postecoglou is looking for a long-term replacement for current full-back Pedro Porro, with Gray namedropped among those, given his string of performances at right-back, which led to the departure of natural full-back and club stalwart Luke Ayling.

However, many are in agreement that Gray's best and most natural position is in the centre of midfield, despite only making 18 appearances across all competitions in the middle of the park last season, as per Transfermarkt.

However, as much as interest from the likes of Spurs, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund as well as being watched by Real Madrid and Bayern Munich scouts will give Gray an even greater lease of confidence, a recent update from TEAMtalk will no doubt please Whites supporters more than anyone.

The publication claim that those close to him, including his agent, see no reason to rush his exit from West Yorkshire, given Gray's blossoming in the first team over the last ten months.

His family are under no illusions that Dortmund have a great reputation for developing the likes of Jude Bellingham, but have been impressed with Leeds' own management of their academy graduate.

Given the fact that Gray is under contract until 2028, there is no rush from a Leeds point of view to sell him at this moment in time either, and another successful individual season in the second tier could even see a reported £40m valuation shoot up further.