RB Leipzig join race for Leeds United star | OneFootball

Archie Gray is thought to be a target for many clubs this summer, with teams around Europe taking an interest.

Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig are in the mix to recruit Leeds United full-back Archie Gray, according to HITC.

The 18-year-old has been the subject of major transfer speculation in recent months, with no shortage of sides taking an interest in him.

This interest comes following an excellent first full season in professional football, managing to make the step up to the first team seamlessly following the Whites' relegation and performing well both in central midfield and at right-back.

With Leeds having a shortage of midfield options before the likes of Ilia Gruev and Glen Kamara arrived at Elland Road, Gray managed to step in well during the early stages of the season.

After that, he became a regular starter at right-back, managing to fill the void created by the likes of Rasmus Kristensen and Cody Drameh following their loan exits.

Djed Spence, meanwhile, spent a chunk of his unsuccessful loan stay at left-back before his return to Spurs in January, which gave Gray the opportunity to continue operating on the right-hand side.

The latter's goalscoring contributions were limited last term, but his strike helped Leeds to secure what could have been a vital win against fellow promotion candidates Leicester City back in February.

With the player making his debut for England's U21 team and also shining for his club, there are a queue of teams who are interested in the possibility of luring the player away from Elland Road in the next couple of months.

Update on Archie Gray's Leeds United future

Gray's most likely destination at this stage is thought to be Germany if he does move on this summer.

This is according to HITC, who have reported that RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are all interested in the player, with the former's interest only just emerging.

Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid are also believed to have watched the player closely, along with English teams.

A potential summer sale of Gray could include an initial fee that's less than £30m, according to HITC, but potential add-ons and bonuses included in any agreement could take the deal beyond the £50m mark.

Leeds United should demand a very high fee for Archie Gray

There are no guarantees that Gray will attract as much interest in the future as he currently is now.

However, the player is still only 18 at this stage and this is why the Whites shouldn't be thinking of securing an initial fee of less than £30m.

Although they could potentially reduce his price tag slightly to include a sell-on clause, something that would be wise considering his potential, they need to guarantee themselves a decent fee up front.

Not only may it help to ease any PSR issues that they could potentially face with their 2024/25 accounts, but it also means that money is guaranteed and not dependent on Gray activating certain clauses.