Tottenham Hotspur beat both Manchester City and Liverpool to Archie Gray in the summer window by making a key promise that the others could not.
When Spurs paid £40m to sign Archie Gray from Leeds United back in the summer, the move raised some eyebrows.
You rarely ever see an 18-year-old from the Championship fetching that kind of a fee, particularly one with just one year of senior football under his belt.
However, six months since, the deal looks like a masterstroke by Tottenham, with the teenager showing maturity beyond his years by impressing across the backline for Ange Postecoglou‘s side.
The Daily Mail have now revealed that Tottenham faced intense competition for the youngster’s signature in the summer, with the Leeds academy graduate thought to have been one of the most coveted players in the previous window.
Man City and Liverpool were both said to have explored a move for Gray, with the Premier League champions even holding talks about a potential deal.
However, Tottenham were able to win the race for the England Under-21 international by giving him assurances that he will play regular first-team football, which is a promise they have been able to keep.
It is explained that moving to City and playing under Pep Guardiola was an attraction for Gray, but the Manchester club were honest with the player, telling him that he would arrive as a developmental player, rather than going straight into their first team.
If Spurs had Antonio Conte in charge rather than Postecoglou, the likes of Gray and Bergvall are unlikely to have agreed to a move to N17.
The Lilywhites have now become an attractive destination for the best talent in world football as everyone knows that they have a head coach who is not shy of handing opportunities to young talent.
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