Great news for Gray: Leeds eyeing up "unbelievable" first signing
Great news for Gray: Leeds eyeing up "unbelievable" first signing
The summer transfer window officially opened for business on Friday and Leeds United are yet to make their first move to bolster their playing squad.
Daniel Farke and his side are preparing for a second season in the Championship after they lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley last month.
Bayern Munich have been linked with an interest in Archie Gray, Wilfried Gnonto is said to be eyeing a move to Italy, and Dutch forward Crysencio Summerville has been linked with Premier League giants Liverpool, which suggests that they could lose some key talent after failing to win promotion.
However, TEAMtalk recently reported that Gray is one player who is happy to remain at Elland Road and there could be some great news to come for the teenager as Leeds are eyeing up a gem who could free him up to play in his natural position.
Leeds United's interest in Premier League starlet
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, versatile Chelsea defender Alfie Gilchrist is one of the players the Whites are eyeing up this summer.
The report claims that the £5.5k-per-week enforcer, whose attitude was hailed as "unbelievable" by John Terry, is on their list of targets but is not one that they are actively pursuing at this moment in time, as loan deals may not be completed until later in the window.
It states that Wales international Connor Roberts is not likely to make a return to Elland Road after his loan spell earlier this year, as Burnley may not want to strengthen a promotion rival following their relegation from the Premier League.
This could open up the door for Farke to bring in another right-back to compete for a starting berth in the defence next season, which could see Gilchrist brought in.
A move for the young Blues defender would be great news for Gray as it could allow him to move into a midfield position, where he has the potential to thrive.
Why Alfie Gilchrist could free up Archie Gray
Gilchrist came up through the youth ranks with the London giants as a central defender but made 13 first-team appearances for Chelsea at right-back this season, in his breakthrough year with the senior side.
This suggests that the 20-year-old gem, who scored one goal in 11 Premier League outings, could line up on the right flank for Leeds in the Championship next term.
That would then free up Gray, who had been deputising at right-back for the Whites in the 2023/24 campaign, to play in his more natural position in the middle of the park, as the majority of his time at academy level was spent as a central or attacking midfielder.
As you can see in the table above, the England U21 international put in a fantastic performance against QPR earlier this year, despite the team's struggles in a loss at Loftus Road, that was more impressive than the average standard of his displays at right-back in the division.
This suggests that Farke could get more out of the 18-year-old star by unleashing him in midfield on a regular basis as it could allow him to flourish in and out of possession.
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The Whites are reportedly ready to join the race to land the talented playmaker.
Therefore, the signing of Gilchrist, or at least the news of the club being interested in a new right-back, should come as great news for Gray, as it bodes well for his chances of getting more game time in his favoured role next season.