EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham set to trigger release clause of player in a transfer steal attempt
Tottenham are plotting a sensational move to hijack Brentford’s deal for Leeds United star Archie Gray, sources have told Football Insider.
Leeds have accepted a £40million bid including add-ons from Brentford as the Premier League side look to secure the 18-year-old’s services.
Gray has agreed personal terms and is set to undergo a medical ahead of completing his move to west London.
But Tottenham have a longstanding interest in the England Under-21 international and are weighing up a shock ambush on Sunday.
Leeds are in financial strife and need to sell a player for a big fee ahead of Sunday’s accounting deadline.
Tottenham could hijack Archie Gray deal after Brentford move agreed
Football Insider revealed on 6 June Tottenham have a “concrete” interest in signing Gray this summer following his impressive form for Leeds last season.
The versatile player, who spent most of his breakthrough campaign playing at right-back, has drawn the attention of several top clubs after impressing scouts with his performances.
Gray started in 47 of his 52 outings last season as Leeds just missed out on promotion back to the Premier League following their play-off final defeat against Southampton.
The teenager only signed a new contract until 2028 back in January this year, but he is now expected to leave Elland Road this summer.
Brentford have agreed a deal for his services, but Tottenham are plotting a last-ditch attempt to take him to north London before Sunday’s accounting deadline.
Football Insider revealed last month Leeds must recoup an astonishing £150million in player sales after failing to gain promotion.
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Ange on Pundits duty: Video of Tottenham Hotspur boss fuming out of Studio
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is fuming
That’s why Ange Postecoglou was so loved by Celtic fans and why he has won so many over following his debut campaign in the Tottenham dugout.
With domestic football in hibernation, international football is taking centre stage and Euro 2024 is capturing the imagination of the people.
Postecoglou is working as a pundit for ITV, and surprise, surprise, he has been brilliant during his coverage across various games.
On Saturday, he was working on Germany’s 2-0 win over Denmark, where everyone’s favourite subject, VAR, took centre stage following a controversial call by the officials.
After Denmark and Joachim Andersen’s goal was overturned, minutes later, Germany went down the other end and they were awarded a penalty after an alleged handball by, you guessed it, the very same player.
The on-field referee was Michael Oliver and Postecoglou was raging that he was told by VAR to go to his monitor, check his call, overturn it and award the penalty.
In his own typical style, the Spurs boss stated ‘If I hear one more person saying that they aren’t re-refereeing a game I will blow up’, as he told ITV Sport.
Ange Postecoglou fumes at VAR after Germany beat Denmark at Euro 2024
“That’s my issue, Michael Oliver isn’t making the decision,” said Postecoglou. “That has been my issue all along.
“But he saw the action and he deemed it wasn’t necessary to be a penalty. That’s my problem. If I hear one more person saying that they aren’t re-refereeing a game I will blow up, seriously, because that’s exactly what they do.
“I don’t think that’s why we brought in technology for that decision. That decision for me is quite an easy one – this isn’t Michael Oliver, we aren’t criticising a referee here. We are criticising the technology which is what I criticised consistently – technology is supposed to be definitive.”
English referee Michael Oliver has words with Germany’s midfielder #21 Ilkay Gundogan and Denmark’s goalkeeper #01 Kasper Schmeichel during the UEF…
Ange Postecoglou as a pundit
Of course, during the season, managers simply have no time to sit on the telly and discuss the games that are being played.
But summer tournaments allow the fans to see what some of them are like outside of the pressure cooker of their dugout.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been working for the BBC and he has been amazing to listen to, whilst Postecoglou has been equally as good.
But it won’t be too long before they head back home because pre-season will start for many at the start of July ahead of what is set to be a pulsating new Premier League season.
