"Off the table" - Leeds United could face January decision on Crystal Palace target? The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

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Crystal Palace are pursuing a deal for Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray, according to yesterday's report from Alan Nixon.

The 17-year-old has been an important part of Daniel Farke's plans during the early stages of this season, with the Whites' relegation and their previous lack of midfield depth giving him the opportunity to shine.

At the time of writing, Gray has made an impressive eight Championship appearances so far this season and he will be looking to appear in as many games as possible before the end of the campaign.

With Ilia Gruev and Glen Kamara coming in during the latter stages of the season, he may find game time harder to come by but it could be argued that he will control his own destiny, with his performance levels likely to dictate how many minutes he will win on the pitch.

It remains to be seen whether he will remain at Elland Road for the remainder of the campaign though, with Palace potentially set to come in with an offer during the winter after tracking him for a while.

Looking at this potential move from a Leeds perspective, two of our writers at Football League World have given their verdicts on whether they should cash in on the 17-year-old during the January transfer window.

Adam Jones

Gray's contract runs out in the summer of 2025 and with this in mind, Leeds are in a reasonably strong position at the negotiating table.

And considering he's only 17, the Whites should be looking to keep him and develop him further before selling him on for a big fee, so January doesn't feel like the right time to sell him.

Despite the fact he has impressed in recent times, they probably wouldn't generate a huge fee for him because of his inexperience but with more game time under his belt, the Whites would be able to demand a high amount for him.

Getting him tied down to an extension is key and if they can't do that, they should be open to selling him either in January or next summer.

But he shouldn't be up for sale if he puts pen to paper on a new deal in the coming months, regardless of whether Leeds are promoted back to the Premier League at the end of the season or not and regardless of the amount of game time he gets.

If he doesn't win a huge amount of game time in the next few months, they should loan him out. But if he extends his stay at Elland Road, a potential permanent move should be off the table.

Ned Holmes

It's no surprise that Premier League teams are starting to take notice of Leeds United rising star Archie Gray but the Whites should be doing all they can to keep hold of him.

The 17-year-old has not looked out of place in the Championship this season, which speaks volumes to what a bright talent he is, and he will only continue to get better as he gets more game time under his belt.

With a contract that runs until the summer of 2025, tying him down to a fresh contract has to be high up on Leeds' list of priorities - particularly given the interest from Palace.

Assuming they can do that, I don't see why it would be in their interest to sell him. Not only is he a useful member of the squad already but he will only grow in value as he continues to develop.

It would be a surprise if he's not keen to sign fresh terms at Leeds given he's the fourth member of the Gray dynasty at the Yorkshire club and has come through the academy.

Breaking into the first team will likely have been his dream and while he is getting minutes, Elland Road has to be the best place for him.