Archie Gray reacts to Elland Road announcement as Leeds confirm contract news
Archie Gray has reacted to a big contract update from Leeds United as the Whites prepare for life back in the Premier League next season.
Durham-born Gray progressed through Leeds‘ academy teams as a youngster before making his first-team debut for the club in August 2023 at just 17-years-old.
He remained a regular in the Championship throughout the 2023/24 campaign, but the Whites’ failure to win promotion meant he made the move to Tottenham last summer for a reported fee of around £40million [Yorkshire Post].
The versatile teenager featured 46 times for Spurs in his maiden campaign at the club, but did struggle to nail down a consistent starting spot under Ange Postecoglou, and Leeds’ recent promotion to the top-flight has sparked rumours that he could move back to Elland Road this summer.
Leeds United hand Sam Byram a new contract
Football Insider recently revealed that Tottenham are unwilling to let Gray leave any time soon, as they see him as a key player going forward, so it certainly seems unlikely that he will return to Leeds ahead of the new season.
He has kept close ties to his boyhood club, however, especially since his younger brother Harry is now also progressing through the youth ranks at Elland Road, and Gray moved to like an Instagram post from Leeds on Tuesday, 8 July, as they announced a new contract extension for veteran defender Sam Byram with the caption: “(Leeds) is pleased to announce Sam Byram has put pen to paper on a new one year contract.”
Byram’s existing deal had expired on 30 June, but he will now remain with the Whites for another year, and he is clearly a popular figure at the club after Leeds’ announcement was also liked by a number of his teammates including Largie Ramazani, Jayden Bogle, Dan James and Karl Darlow, with former teammate and new Rangers signing Joe Rothwell also liking the post.
Gray deserves more starts for Spurs in 2025/26
Football Insider verdict
It feels like an uncertain time at Spurs right now after Postecoglou was sacked last month despite winning the Europa League, with Thomas Frank now at the helm in North London.
One thing can be for certain though, which is that Gray has all the talent and determination to become a Premier League and England regular in the not too distant future, and he should be given more chances next season as a result.
| Appearances | Starts | Yellow Cards |
| 46 | 35 | 2 |
He only started half of Spurs’ Premier League games in 2024/25, despite their injury issues, and even though their foray into the Champions League next term would ordinarily see experienced players be given more minutes, that should not apply to Gray as he already plays well beyond his years.
The 19-year-old is very versatile, having played in numerous different positions in his two years in senior football so far, and so he deserves more opportunities under Frank going forward.
Football Insider recently revealed that Spurs are set to offer Kyle Walker-Peters a contract this summer, so Gray’s future may not be at right-back, but he has shown enough quality in defensive midfield to also be given the chance to prove himself there next season.