The news that Archie Grey wants to stay at Leeds United despite Premier League interest in the teenager has delighted Carlton Palmer.
The 17-year-old has been crucial to Daniel Farke’s team’s successful start to the season, appearing in 15 of the first 16 Championship games. However, he has been connected to a costly transfer to the Premier League.
Palmer is happy that Grey, a product of the Whites academy, appears to be staying at Elland Road for the time being. Grey was apparently attracting interest from Liverpool and many other Premier League teams, with Leeds wanting to pay as much as £40 million for him [Daily Mail, 10 November].
He stated, “Leeds United are confident that Archie Grey will commit his future to the club, despite interest from top clubs at home and abroad,” as reported by Football League World on November 21.
The young man now faces a whopping £30–40 million price tag from Leeds. However, Grey has indicated to the club that he is happy where he is and wants to continue his football education at Leeds United under Daniel Farke, which is a huge boost for the team in their quest to regain their Premier League status once again.
“The manager, the team, and the supporters are thrilled with this news.”
Great news
Leeds United will need their top players to stay at Elland Road if they hope to build on their strong start to the season and close the early gap with the two teams presently holding the automatic promotion spots, Ipswich and Leicester City.
Even though Grey is still young, he has already shown himself to be an important part of Farke’s team in the season’s first few months, whether it be at right-back, where he has been playing more frequently lately, or in the middle of midfield.
A £40 million offer would have been difficult for any Championship team to reject, and most teens would have been taken aback by interest from a club the size of Liverpool, but every week that goes by, it becomes more and more obvious that Grey is anything but your typical teenager.
At Elland Road, Farke has assembled a team of players who are fiercely competitive and eager, and they enjoy playing for the German. Hopefully, this team spirit will propel the Whites back to the Premier League this coming season.