David James supports the notion of Archie Gray departing Leeds United and moving to Liverpool in the near future.
The 17-year-old is regarded as one of the top young talents in the Championship, earning consistent playing time for a team competing for promotion to the Premier League.
Daniel Farke’s team currently holds an automatic promotion spot, but Ipswich Town and Southampton are hot on their heels, with just two points separating the three teams.
Young Archie Gray has been instrumental in this push for promotion. Although primarily a midfielder, he has been deployed at right-back in recent months and continues to impress in the colours of Leeds United.
Consequently, there is significant interest in his abilities, with sources from HITC Football indicating that Liverpool and Newcastle United remain keen on securing the rising Leeds star.
When questioned about Archie Gray potentially moving to Merseyside, David James believes it would be a wise decision for the long-term prospects of his career.
Speaking to GGrecon, he suggested it would be a ‘smart signing’ for Liverpool. However, he also acknowledges that if Leeds United can swiftly return to the Premier League, it would be advantageous for the club to retain their top talents.
“For a young player to be able to show the ability and consistency in order to be in that side is impressive. Leeds are a big team, let’s be fair, and the expectation at Leeds, especially the Championship, is that they shouldn’t be there and should be in the Premier League.
“So in many ways, he’s learning what it would be like to play at Liverpool because the expectation at Liverpool is the same, but on a different level of course. Would it be better for him in the long-term to stay at Leeds United next season? I’m not sure.”
Should Liverpool target Archie Gray stay at Leeds?
Regardless of Leeds United’s situation, Gray should remain at the club and continue developing his game in a familiar environment. There are numerous instances of young Leeds talents moving on and not fulfilling their potential elsewhere.
Winger Jack Clarke serves as a pertinent example; although he’s now performing well for Sunderland, his transfer to Tottenham didn’t pan out as expected.
Gray is still very young and will remain a youngster for the next five years. There’s ample time for him to progress at Leeds, and there’s no need to rush his development.