Leeds United on alert as Archie Gray preferred Tottenham loan exit destination named

Archie Gray would likely wish to return to Leeds United on loan from Tottenham should the midfielder be allowed to leave in January, according to Don Goodman.

As per Give Me Sport [11 November], Ange Postecoglou is not interested in sanctioning a loan move for the 18-year-old in the winter transfer window, but the news outlet also previously reported that Spurs are bracing for a significant amount of interest to emerge from Premier League and Championship sides [31 October].

LaLiga said Sevilla have also been credited with an interested in versatile midfielder Gray ahead of the January window opening for business.

However, Goodman said via MOT Leeds News on Thursday [14 November] that Gray would probably prefer a move back to his boyhood club should the opportunity present itself.

“Spurs will look at the levels in LaLiga, the style of play Sevilla play, and will compare that to Archie coming back to the Championship,” he said.

“Leeds are a top team but would it be better for him to be in a league that is probably more technical than the Championship? He ultimately needs game time at a technical team, which is what Spurs are.

“That leads to a conundrum for Spurs. If he’s given the choice, you’d imagine he’d prefer to go back to Leeds because they have a part of his heart. But it’s a footballing decision and it’ll likely be taken out of his hands.

“Spurs have to do what they deem to be best for the player’s development. If that’s in La Liga with Sevilla, that’s their gift to have.”

Tottenham to choose between Championship and LaLiga for Archie Gray

While Gray arrived in North London with a lot of expectation on his shoulders following his £40million move from Leeds, he has since found his game time restricted under Postecoglou.

The England Under-21s international has featured predominantly in cup competitions, starting all matches in the Europa League and Carabao Cup.

However, with the ever-present Pedro Porro ahead of him at right-back and Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr and even Dejan Kulusevski preferred in central midfield, Gray is unlikely to be handed opportunities in the Premier League this term – barring injuries.

Therefore, despite Postecoglou’s stance, a loan move in January would be beneficial for all parties, remembering his acquisition was a long-term investment.

Gray has the “unbelievable ability” to become a regular starter in the future but this is just not possible at present due to the plethora of options in the squad – spending the remainder of the campaign helping his boyhood side achieve Premier League promotion seems the perfect fit.

Tottenham may think otherwise and prefer a move to a top-five league with Sevilla. However, one crucial factor that tends to be forgotten about is Gray would then be moving to a side wherein he doesn’t speak the language and would need to adapt to a new environment and style of football – moving him to familiar surroundings is by far the better solution.

In other Tottenham news, Spurs loanee Timo Werner is expected to leave the club at the end of the season.

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