According to recent reports, Leeds United boss Daniel Farke could face a difficult situation regarding one of his brightest young stars at Elland Road.
Last weekend, Leeds United continued their steady run of progress under Farke by defeating Watford 3-0 at Elland Road, courtesy of strikes from Joel Piroe, Sam Byram and Jaiden Anthony.
Cited by BBC Sport, Farke was full of praise for his side in his post-match press conference, stating: “That we returned to the dressing room with a clean sheet is for me the most pleasing topic today. Obviously it’s a great result for us, great performance. Even in the first half I was so, so happy because we totally dominated this game, we created so many chances in the first half; didn’t allow them to have one chance. It was hard for them to get a touch in our half. Second half we were able to convert our dominance into great goals, we could have scored perhaps a few more.
The Whites have now climbed to fifth in the Sky Bet Championship table and are on a six-match unbeaten streak in the division, building some crucial momentum as the fixture schedule continues to intensify. In other news, The Athletic has revealed that Southampton goalkeeper Joe Lumley trained with Leeds before opting to move to the South Coast on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window.
Leeds United attacker Wilfried Gnonto meanwhile was recently rocked with an injury blow and German coach Farke has confirmed that the Italy international will be out of action until after the next international break, as cited by Leeds Live.
Patrick Bamford, Junior Firpo, Djed Spence and Stuart Dallas remain out of contention despite making progress in their respective efforts to re-enter the first-team picture.
According to Alan Nixon on Patreon, Premier League outfit Crystal Palace have scouted Leeds midfielder Archie Gray for some period and his emergence in the Sky Bet Championship this campaign has only served to increase their interest in the 17-year-old’s services.
It is believed that any move in January to try and tempt Gray to Selhurst Park is unlikely; however, United may have a problem on their hands next summer if they fail to achieve an immediate return to the English top flight.
Gray, who has been labelled “incredible” by former Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford in the past, has made ten appearances this season in all competitions for the Whites, as per Transfermarkt. Capable of offering an offensive threat from the heart of midfield, Gray has been able to successfully perform 13 shot-creating actions in the Sky Bet Championship, as per FBRef.
Despite only signing professional forms earlier this year, Gray has already endeared himself to the Elland Road faithful and is expected to be a key player for years to come in Yorkshire.
It is almost unthinkable that someone so loved by the Leeds United support could be sold; however, the Whites may be powerless to stop Gray leaving for a shot at Premier League football if they fail to win promotion in 2023/24.
