Tottenham Hotspur receive transfer blow as Leeds United triple signing hopes dashed by new development

Tottenham had been linked with a move to reunite brothers Archie and Harry Gray prior to the latter’s most recent birthday.

The younger of the two siblings turned 17 at the beginning of October, at which point he was eligible to sign a first professional contract.

Archie, on the other hand, joined Spurs in the summer of 2024 following Leeds’ failure to win promotion via the Championship play-offs, parting with his boyhood club for a reported £40 million fee after his first full season of senior football.

Tottenham Hotspur miss out on 17-year-old Leeds United star

Then, earlier this summer Spurs signed teenage forward and England youth international Oliver Boast from the Elland Road club, who will be due training compensation as opposed to a transfer fee, for the youngster’s move.

Boast is understood to have left Leeds having deemed his pathway to senior football blocked by Gray’s presence and first-team boss Daniel Farke’s preference for the teenager.

Among Leeds fans, it was hoped the same scenario would not play out with regard to Harry Gray’s future, the much-heralded jewel of the club’s Thorp Arch academy.

Gray became the latest in a five-strong line of family members to represent the Leeds first-team after debuting in a 6-0 win over Stoke City at the end of last season.

The 17-year-old has now put pen to paper on a ‘long-term’ contract, according to Leeds, ending any speculation over his immediate future.

“Everyone at Leeds United would like to congratulate Harry on signing a first professional contract and we look forward to seeing his development over the coming seasons”, a club statement read.

While Leeds fans will celebrate tying Gray down to a contract believed to run until the end of the 2027/28 season, Spurs can focus on a prodigious striking talent of their own in Luca Williams-Barnett.

The 17-year-old made his Tottenham debut in the League Cup earlier this season and is highly-rated by coaches at the club.

Joe joined FourFourTwo as senior digital writer in July 2025 after five years covering Leeds United in the Championship and Premier League. Joe’s ‘Mastermind‘ specialist subject is 2000s-era Newcastle United having had a season ticket at St. James’ Park for 10 years before relocating to Leeds and later London. Joe takes a keen interest in youth football, covering PL2, U21 Euros, as well as U20 and U17 World Cups in the past, in addition to hosting the industry-leading football recruitment-focused SCOUTED podcast. He is also one of the lucky few to have ‘hit top bins’ as a contestant on Soccer AM. It wasn’t a shin-roller.