Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray was strongly linked with a move to join Chelsea

Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray was strongly linked with a move to join Chelsea before he ended up at Tottenham this week.

Leeds’ failure to secure promotion leaves them quite vulnerable when it comes to offers from top flight clubs, and they have talented players worth the move up to the Premier League.

Enzo Maresca joining free-spending Chelsea is a worry too, given he witnessed first-hand the talent Leeds possess in their squad.

The Telegraph issued an update on Archie Gray’s future, revealing at the back end of last week that Chelsea are looking at signing the 18-year-old.

Maresca is looking to revamp his Blues midfield after leaving Leicester City, and Gray was one of two targets for him, alongside his Foxes star from last season, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall.

They have since confirmed the signing of Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester while they have now missed out on Gray, who ended up at London rivals Tottenham for £40million after a whirlwind few days:

🫶 @ArchieGray06 pic.twitter.com/rFfXhGsxQc

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 2, 2024

Not many begrudge Gray a move at all to the Premier League, with Tottenham a strong destination for him to go impress, especially with the money too big for the 49ers to turn down.

As a teenager, Gray had to consider where was best for him to play his football for next season, and that is somewhere he’s definitely going to play.

Chelsea was not that place.

Todd Boehly’s takeover has seen Chelsea hoover up talent from across the globe on lengthy amortised contracts, and few of them have actually stuck the landing.

Particularly, their midfield investment screams red flags, given the multiple big-money signings in the way of those looking play often enough to develop further.

Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Cesare Casadei are all on the books in midfield while Dewsbury-Hall has now joined.

That isn’t a midfield setup that Gray will have seen himself getting into, and it would have ruined his development to head there.

While it’s gutting that Gray isn’t at Leeds for next season, those hoping for big things in his career will be relieved that he’s not at Stamford Bridge.