Tottenham Hotspur have made dramatic improvements when it comes to their approach in the transfer market in recent years.
Spurs endured a miserable spell when to came to their dealings in the transfer window a few years back which is epitomised by the deal to sign Tanguy Ndombele.
The Frenchman remains the club’s record signing and is set to leave on a free transfer this summer after five underwhelming years at Hotspur Way.
Barring the odd uninspired signing, things improved after Fabio Paratici’s arrival in 2021 and the Italian continues to work with the club on a consultancy basis following his ban from football.
Paratici is mainly assisting technical director Johan Lange in the market now and Spurs’ business since Ange Postecoglou’s arrival has been promising.
The likes of James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Micky van de Ven hit the ground running after arriving last summer. Brennan Johnson has also impressed in his debut season while Radu Dragusin has caught the eye in his handful of appearances since joining in January.
Despite the obvious improvements when it comes to transfers, Spurs will surely regret missing out on Adam Wharton.
The 20-year-old switched Blackburn Rovers for Crystal Palace back in January after Tottenham were known admirers. Wharton has since booked an unlikely spot in England’s Euro 2024 squad after starring for Palace last term.
While Spurs have seemingly missed the boat when it comes to Wharton, they still have the opportunity to snap up another talented player in the Championship.
READ MORE: Tottenham fans are all in agreement after claims Tanguy Ndombele is set to leave
Tottenham must avoid Wharton mistake and look at Archie Gray
Spurs have often scouted the best talents in the Championship but seem to have a habit of missing out. The likes of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze spring to mind, with the latter now a target for the club once again.
Bringing in Wharton just months after his move to Selhurst Park seems highly unlikely but Archie Gray should be a player Tottenham look at.
The 18-year-old enjoyed a brilliant breakthrough season at Elland Road under Daniel Farke, racking up 52 appearances in all competitions.
Gray is naturally a midfielder but mainly operated at right-back for the Whites last term. Lauded as a ‘wonderkid‘, the youngster had a hand in three goals and looks set to be the next star to emerge from the Championship.
READ MORE: Tottenham have now made contact with ‘exceptional’ right-back they want to replace Emerson Royal
Gray would suit Ange Postecoglou’s demands
Given his ability to play in midfield and at right-back, Gray seems like an ideal fit for an inverted full-back role under Postecoglou.
There would be doubts over his playing time if he moved to Spurs given he is still relatively inexperienced, which would likely impact his development.
But if Tottenham want to avoid missing out on a talented young player and avoid repeating the mistake they made with Wharton, the possibility of loaning Gray back to Leeds for a season could be an astute move.
Spurs picked up similar deals for Pape Matar Sarr and Destiny Udogie, with both working out brilliantly for the players and Tottenham.
Postecoglou’s side are reportedly showing interest in Gray ahead of the summer but whether or not they firm up that interest remains to be seen.
One thing is for certain, Gray looks set to have a bright future ahead of him and will undoubtedly be attracting plenty of interest from top sides further down the line.
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