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Baffling: 49ers make major mistake by selling Leeds United sensation Archie Gray, hindering future – View

Baffling: 49ers make major mistake by selling Leeds United sensation Archie Gray, hindering future – View

HULL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Archie Gray of Leeds United reacts during the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City and Leeds United at MKM Stadium on September 20, 2023 in Hull, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Leeds United sold midfielder Archie Gray to Tottenham this week for a fee of £40m, while Joe Rodon turned the other way in shrewd business, but there is one glaring omission from the club’s deal.

Leeds’ first major sale of the summer window has been confirmed with the departure of academy sensation Archie Gray.

A deal to join Tottenham was completed earlier in the week to see Ange Postecoglou add another highly talented midfielder to his ranks for 24/25.

Leeds agree to sell Archie Gray for £40m with no buy-on clause

As the deal to see Gray move to Tottenham for £40m was completed on Monday, it looked like a reasonable deal for Leeds at first given the need to sell Gray.

However, an intriguing detail has emerged from Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post regarding the clauses included in Gray’s move to Spurs.

While fans will have been hoping for a sale for Gray to Spurs, there is believed to be no such clause in the deal:

“YEP also understands that there is no sell-on clause for Leeds in a transaction which helps to mitigate their profitability and sustainability position.

“Leeds have made no secret of the need to sell a star player this summer to stay within the EFL’s financial guidelines, and the money from Gray’s sale, along with bids that took Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra to Bournemouth , will help in a big way.”

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The 49ers made a huge mistake by not trading Archie Gray

It became apparent that Leeds had a release clause built into Gray’s contract they signed in January, effectively leaving their hands tied by letting him go.

What he could have done in these negotiations was cover his back with a sale that will surely be a long-term success for Spurs.

An 18-year-old England international-in-waiting is someone who will only become more valuable if he follows this trajectory, and the lack of sell-on percentage for Leeds is staggering, really.

He is one of the most talented players in the country and Spurs could be looking at a generational player in their midst, which of course brings further interest further down the line.

Had Leeds included that clause, they could have been looking at a hefty chunk of the mega-fee in the future, but that’s not the case, which is really strange.

The release clause in Gray’s contract likely means Leeds had no way to include a sell percentage after the Spurs triggered the deal, but the 49ers certainly knew that could have been a possibility when they landed him on the young man for talks in January and implemented it. then.


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