Leeds United 'keen' on £2.5m European defender as Archie Gray contract clause revealed

Leeds United are just a matter of days away from Sunday’s massive Championship play-off final clash against Southampton. Daniel Farke’s side will be putting the finishing touches on their preparations at Thorp Arch before making the journey down to Wembley this weekend, to be followed by tens of thousands of supporters.

Those heading down to Wembley, and the many more watching on TV, know 90 minutes of football will produce either ecstasy or agony but those in charge at Elland Road will take a more pragmatic approach and plans will already be in the making for a summer of investment. And as the build-up to Sunday’s clash intensifies, the YEP has rounded up some of the latest headlines surrounding the club.

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Defensive additions eyed

Leeds have emerged as a potential suitor for Gent centre-back Jordan Torunarigha, with Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg labelling the Nigerian as ‘one to watch’ ahead of the summer transfer window. The Whites are named alongside Bundesliga pair Stuttgart and Hoffenheim in keeping tabs on the 26-year-old.

Torunarigha has enjoyed another strong campaign with Gent who are on course to qualify for the Europa Conference League, having made it through to the knockout stages of the competition this term. The Nigerian is highly-regarded by his current club but could look to make the step up and will enter the final year of his contract this summer.

That contract situation means potential suitors could snap up a cut-price deal for Torunarigha, with the report suggesting a move could be ‘possible’ for between £2m-£2.5m. Leeds will likely be in the market for a left-footed centre-back, with club captain Liam Cooper in the final weeks of his Elland Road contract as things stand.

Gray contract clause

Archie Gray could seemingly have signed his first professional contract with a top Premier League club last year but opted instead to continue with Leeds. The Athletic’s Phil Hay reports that Gray agreed to sign a contract at Elland Road, so long as the club matched ‘a certain percentage’ of the lowest offer that came from elsewhere.

Gray has rapidly emerged as one of the best academy talents to come through Leeds in decades, having only made his senior debut on the opening day of the season against Cardiff but already become a mainstay in Daniel Farke’s plans. Such is the growing stature of the versatile youngster that Leeds opted to tie him down to a long-term contract in January that will keep him on board until 2028.

There is plenty of interest in Gray ahead of the summer but it seems the eyes of top Premier League clubs had long been on the England under-21 international, with Manchester City and Liverpool among those named. But the report states that Gray was keen to keep developing with the club he loves and was more than happy to snub more lucrative offers in order to do so.