How Leeds United star Archie Gray transfer value has skyrocketed under Daniel Farke

Leeds United have enjoyed a superb season so far, and there have been key players aplenty in Daniel Farke's eye-catching squad. But few have stood out like youngster Archie Gray, who has broken through and become a vital player at just 18 years of age.

What is even more impressive is that Gray has shown tremendous versatility, often operating at full-back despite being a centre midfielder by trade. The youngster is already being linked with some of the biggest clubs in the country, but Leeds will be hoping they can secure promotion to the Premier League, where he can remain a key part of Farke's squad.

Speaking of the German boss, he must receive plenty of credit for bringing Gray into his plans and getting the best out of him. Gray himself has praised Farke. “My dad has always said that pre-season is the time to make a good first impression on the manager and that starts with your fitness," he said in an interview with The Guardian in December. "I worked really hard and tried to impress in pre-season, then made my debut against Cardiff and thought I did OK.

“Obviously I was proud of myself but I didn’t really celebrate – we just went out for a meal as a family. I’ve still got so much more to prove and to improve on, but the manager has been brilliant and put so much faith in me. In pre-season I set a goal of playing as much as possible but I’ve definitely exceeded my expectations.”

Farke's decision to use Gray, and indeed in the way he has used him, has also had a more palpable impact. According to Transfermarkt, before the season started, Gray had a value of 200,000 euros (£171,670), and that value rose to five million (£4.29 million) Euros by the end of October and to 14 million (£12 million) Euros by the end of 2023.

Today, Gray's value is as much as 16 million Euros (£13.7 million), according to the data site, and it's likely the club would demand more than £40 million if they were forced to sell him any time soon. Of course, Gray deserves the bulk of the praise for developing the way he has, but like so often when young players enjoy successful breakthroughs, it takes the right player-manager combination and at the right time.