Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray has a major decision to make on his future this summer.
Gray has only had one year in the first team at Elland Road but is already attracting interest from some of Europe’s elite clubs, with Chelsea the latest to express an interest.
Under the ownership of Todd Boehly, Chelsea have spent a large amount of cash on recruiting young players from across the world, and so it is no surprise to see they are keen on Gray.
It is said a fee in excess of £30 million could bring Leeds to the table, which certainly would be a gross undervalue of arguably their most prized asset.
Leeds are still yet to receive an official offer for the 18-year-old, but with the sheer amount of interest, it would be a surprise if one didn’t arrive in the coming weeks.
Why Gray’s family could be key to rejecting Chelsea
Chelsea have become renowned for stockpiling players in the last couple of years and in both positions Gray can play, that is no different.
Gray is eyeing a midfield role at Leeds if he stays next season, but if he was to join Chelsea he would be behind Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer. Other big money youngsters include Lesley Ugochukwu, Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei.
It is no different at right-back, either. Reece James and Malo Gusto are currently competing for first choice in that role, leaving Gray with little to no chance of any minutes.
With that in mind, Gray’s family and representatives could therefore play a key role in rejecting the possibility of a move to Chelsea.
It has already been revealed the 18-year-old and those close to him are in no rush to push for an exit from Leeds, with their main focus on ensuring he develops by playing matches.
Quite simply, he would not get that opportunity at Stamford Bridge and therefore a move to the capital at this stage of his career would make little sense.
Borussia Dortmund offer could change things with Gray
The club Leeds should be most worried about when it comes to signing Gray is Borussia Dortmund.
Dortmund have a track record of signing and developing young players in recent years, making them an attractive proposition for players who have been in the same situation as Gray. Jude Bellingham is, of course, the prime example.
As such, Gray and his family have a slightly different stance when it comes to the possibility of moving to Dortmund, knowing it would be unwise to disregard them completely given their track record.
The main stumbling block there, though, is whether they can stump up the necessary cash needed to bring Leeds to the table.