Ten Hag could oust Dalot in repeat of Man Utd's Cantona swoop
Ten Hag could oust Dalot in repeat of Man Utd's Cantona swoop
Over the years, there have been several players who have played for Manchester United and Leeds United. The two sides have one of the biggest rivalries in English football, and it is fair to say there is no love lost between each set of fans.
However, there is a select group of players who have played for both sides, including some of the best players to wear each club’s shirts.
Perhaps the most famous name on this list is Eric Cantona. The Frenchman is a United legend, having played 183 times for the club, scoring 82 times and registering 61 assists. They signed him from Leeds at the start of the Premier League era, in 1992, and the rest is history.
The other notable name on this list is Rio Ferdinand, who played 455 times for the Red Devils, having joined from Leeds in 2002. The £30m United paid for the then 23-year-old was a world record for a defender at the time.
Other notable names to have played for both United and Leeds include Alan Smith, Gordon McQueen, Denis Irwin, and Lee Sharpe. Now, with the transfer window upon us, there might be another player to add to that list soon, with United linked to a current Leeds starlet.
Man Utd target Leeds midfielder
The player in question here is Leeds’ 18-year-old versatile midfielder Archie Gray. With the Championship side failing to get promotion back to the Premier League last season, Gray could be one of a number of players to leave Elland Road, with United a potential destination.
At least, that is according to a report from TEAMtalk. It explains that United “have spoken about” signing Gray internally and notes that 'their interest has been registered' in signing the talented youngster.
However, the Red Devils will not be the only side vying for the services of Gray this summer. The report states that United’s Mancunian rivals Manchester City, North London pair Tottenham and Arsenal, and West Londoners Chelsea are also interested in adding Gray to their squad ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Interestingly, Brentford had a deal agreed with Gray, with a medical all penciled in, according to David Ornstein. However, just hours later, the Bees saw their bid of £35m rejected by Leeds, as confirmed by The Athletic.
TEAMtalk explains that Gray is currently happy at his boyhood club, and it would not be an easy deal for United to do given the rivalry between the two sides.
Why Gray would be a good signing
One of the great things about 18-year-old Gray is his versatility. Primarily, the youngster is a midfielder. However, last season under Daniel Farke, Gray often played as a right-back, inverting into midfield when his side had the ball. He featured in 44 games last season in the Championship, with many of them coming at right-back, as well as in midfield.
This is an attribute of Gray’s game that Erik ten Hag would really value; as we saw from Diogo Dalot last season, the Dutchman likes his right-back to be comfortable on the ball and able to tuck into midfield in possession, at times making bursting runs into the last line. These are certainly boxes that Gray ticks.
When on the ball, he looks like a Barcelona midfielder who has received his footballing education at La Masia. He is wonderful on the half-turn and has such a calm head on his shoulders.
On the ball, Gray is superior to Dalot in several different metrics, according to Fbref. The Leeds man averages 4.15 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and 4.20 passes into the final third, compared to just 3.51 progressive passes and 3.03 final-third passes from the Portugal international. On top of that, Greay’s pass accuracy of 82.8% is slightly better than Dalot’s 81.2%.
With that in mind, Ten Hag may well view Gray as a better option at right-back than Dalot, if he values on-the-ball qualities more than off-the-ball qualities. That is not to say Gray is bad out of possession; his 3.05 tackles and interaction per 90 minutes are only slightly fewer than Dalot’s 3.34. However, the Portuguese right-back is certainly more accomplished off the ball.
Football analyst Ben Mattinson called Gray a “future £100m” player, and his most recent season in the white shirt of his boyhood club shows why. He could be Ten Hag’s dream right-back, given how he likes his fullbacks to play in possession, and it may well be the case United go all out for him.
Perhaps Gray will join the illustrious list from earlier, and add his name to the hall of fame which includes Cantona and Ferdinand to become the next great player to play for both Leeds and United, ousting Dalot in the process.