As Tottenham’s transfer for Archie Gray is confirmed, we take a look at two players who may be relieved at his arrival and two players who may be looking over their shoulders.
Archie Gray is now a Tottenham Hotspur player. The versatile teenager can cover multiple positions for Ange Postecoglou’s side, so will be a welcomed addition heading into the 24/25 season.
However, he may ruffle a few feathers. Some Tottenham players may find that they lose out on game time with stiffer competition for places.
While tough competition for places isn’t always welcomed by players, sometimes it can provide the option for a player to rest and stay fresh. For others, the addition of a talented player in a different position is a welcome relief.
So, with this – here are two winners and two losers in the Gray deal for Tottenham Hotspur.
Pedro Porro: Winner
Though naturally a central midfielder, Gray spent much of his campaign filling in at right-back for Leeds.
Of course, Pedro Porro would love to play as many games as possible, but with Tottenham in the Europa League this season, Spurs will be hoping to fight on four fronts in the coming campaign.
Gray was frequently asked to invert when playing as a right-back for Leeds, something that Tottenham boss Postecoglou demands from his fullbacks.
Porro played in all but three of Tottenham’s Premier League games last season but only played once for Spain.
Porro is serious about representing his country, which he detailed in a social media post after finding out about his exclusion from Spain’s Euro 2024 squad.
Therefore, having a young player who is not necessarily a direct rival to Porro’s right-back slot but more than capable of filling in, may allow the Spaniard to remain fresher to play for his country.
Joe Rodon: Winner
26-year-old Joe Rodon has now made the switch in the opposite direction, as confirmed via Spurs’ X account, and departs Tottenham after four years at the club in what has ultimately been an underwhelming transfer.
The Welsh centre-half has only had one real run in the Tottenham side during his time in North London and has been sent out on loan twice by the club.
Rodon spent last season on loan at Elland Road, where he played 50 games in all competitions as Leeds narrowly missed out on promotion.
He had formed a strong partnership with Ethan Ampadu, with Leeds conceding the second-fewest goals in the division last season.
Now that he is 26, a move away to a side he knows well and will play consistently at can only be a win for Rodon and for Tottenham, especially if it sweetens a deal for a new signing.
Emerson Royal: Loser
Despite playing 22 games for Spurs in the Premier League last season, it seems clear that Postecoglou does not implicitly trust Emerson Royal in his natural position of right-back.
Royal has spent most of his time on the pitch either filling in at left-back or as an emergency centre-half to cover for injuries.
With Gray’s ability to cover at right-back for Tottenham, Royal loses a big part of his appeal to stay in Postecoglou’s squad to cover for Porro if he were to get injured.
It is fair to say that Royal has been an underwhelming signing for Spurs, and with reported interest from AC Milan this summer, it could be the curtains for the Brazilian’s time in North London.
Oliver Skipp: Loser
Though he made 21 Premier League appearances last season, Tottenham’s academy graduate played just 710 minutes, the equivalent of just under eight games in total.
Oliver Skipp enjoyed his best run in the Tottenham side in the first half of the 21/22 season under Antonio Conte and Nuno Espirito Santo.
However, an injury he sustained in February of that season kept him out for the rest of the campaign and the 23-year-old midfielder has never really recovered and regained his place in the side since.
Skipp is one of few homegrown and club-trained players at Tottenham, a certain number of which are required when registering squads in both the Premier League and in European competitions.
The Premier League rules currently stipulate that in a full, 25-man squad, eight players must qualify as being homegrown.
The arrival of Gray alleviates this and adds even more competition to a squad that Skipp has already found difficult to break into.
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