As he announced his senior squad for this month’s internationals, England manager Gareth Southgate heaped admiration on Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray this week.
There will be a week off from Championship football following tomorrow’s match against Millwall, as the international break takes center stage.
Many of Daniel Farke’s main players, notably Archie Gray, will compete at the senior or youth levels for their respective nations.
Archie Gray in England U21s, Gareth Southgate keeping tabs
Archie Gray, who has been steadily moving up the Three Lions’ rankings since making his debut at Elland Road, was included in the England U21 team this week for the first time.
However, manager Gareth Southgate also acknowledged senior players, hinting at backup plans in case persistent injury issues resurfaced during his post-announcement press conference:
“We obviously have backup plans for every position on the field. Some of those backup plans would involve the U21s. Among those players are some young players who are performing exceptionally well, particularly in midfield. Players like Rico Lewis, Harvey Elliott, Kobbie Mainoo, and Archie Gray at Leeds are doing extremely well, I must say.
“There are several players in that group that we could bring in, but it’s more crucial that we have depth with the seniors first. Obviously, that will interfere with what Cars (Lee Carsley, head coach of the U21 team) is trying to accomplish with his team.”
Southgate making Leeds’ transfer battle to keep Gray even harder
Even though it’s fantastic to see our very own academy graduate becoming so successful despite only turning 18 this week, the 49ers have a problem with it.
Although it’s fantastic that he signed a new deal in January that will keep him here until 2028, there’s always the unavoidable feeling that a larger fish is out there waiting to be caught.
The midfielder’s stock has skyrocketed, and he proved it last month in the FA Cup against Chelsea’s £222 million midfield.
Leeds will eventually have to put the 18-year-old to the test; ideally, this will happen this summer while they are still in the Premier League, otherwise they won’t have a chance.
Gray is regarded well enough to be placed in the same midfield group as Premier League regulars for elite teams like Mainoo, Elliott, and Lewis, and potential buyers seem to agree.
