Tottenham sign Gray as Rodon returns to Leeds

Tottenham have completed the signing of Leeds midfielder Archie Gray in a player-plus-cash deal that sees Joe Rodon return to Elland Road, they announced on Tuesday.

Grey, 18, won plaudits in an impressive season at Leeds and had a £35m ($44m, €41m) bid rejected by Brentford last week.

This allowed Spurs to come in for the England Under-21 international, who signed a six-year deal.

No fee has been disclosed, but British media have reported that Gray has signed a deal worth £25-30m, further incentivizing former loanee Rodon to return to Leeds permanently.

Leeds’ failure to win promotion to the lucrative Premier League from the second-tier Championship in May has put pressure on the Yorkshire club to make big sales to comply with Financial Fair Play rules.

Gray, who can play at right-back or in central midfield, became a regular under Leeds boss Daniel Farke last season. The teenager made 52 appearances in all competitions after making his league debut against Cardiff in August.

Gray’s great-uncle Eddie was a star of the successful Leeds teams of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Grandfather Frank also played over 300 games for the club. Father Andy also played for the Elland Road team. All three were Scotland internationals.

Archie won the Championship Young Player of the Year award last season.

Wales international Rodon has now headed in the other direction, ending his four-year stay at Spurs.

Rodon signed from Swansea in 2020 but has only played 24 times for Tottenham, with his last appearance coming as a late substitute against Burnley towards the end of the 2021/22 season.

After spending the last two seasons on loan at French club Rennes and then Leeds, the 26-year-old returned to Elland Road after signing a four-year contract.