Steve McManaman has talked about Liverpool possibly acquiring Leeds United’s best player, who is valued at £40 million.
Archie Gray has been one of the standout young talents in the Championship this season.
The teenager has broken through at Leeds United and has cemented himself as an important part of Daniel Farke’s first team plans at Elland Road.
The midfielder has featured 18 times from 19 league games so far, including 16 starts, with the Whites chasing automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
His impressive start to life in senior football has naturally attracted the attention of major clubs, including the likes of Liverpool.
The Reds were previously linked with a move for the youngster, who has been valued at £40 million ahead of the January transfer window next month.
Should Liverpool look to sign Archie Gray?
Steve McManaman believes it is unlikely Liverpool will stump up that kind of cash in the January window, especially given the talent already coming through their own academy system.
However, he has claimed that Gray has a bright future ahead of him, highlighting the family tree of ex-footballers that he descends from.
“He’s a player with a history in regards to his footballing heritage and he’s a brilliant talent, but when you’re talking about £40 million to £50 million for a 17-year-old, then I believe those rumours are a bit far-fetched at this moment in time,” said McManaman via Betfred.
“If you look at Liverpool’s academy, they’re already blessed with loads and loads of really talented kids, which is the same for many other academies.
“I believe Liverpool being linked with a big money move for him is just paper talk if I’m being honest, but Archie’s certainly an extremely promising kid.”
Gray made his league debut for Leeds in a 2-2 draw with Cardiff City at the start of this season, featuring for 89 minutes in his first senior start.
The midfielder has been a consistent presence in Farke’s side as they look to bounce straight back into the top flight at the first attempt.
Where are Leeds United in the Championship table?
| Championship Table (As it stands December 4th) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Leicester City | 19 | 22 | 46 |
| 2 | Ipswich Town | 19 | 16 | 45 |
| 3 | Leeds United | 19 | 14 | 38 |
| 4 | Southampton | 19 | 4 | 37 |
| 5 | West Brom | 19 | 11 | 32 |
| 6 | Hull City | 19 | 5 | 30 |
| 7 | Blackburn Rovers | 19 | 1 | 28 |
| 8 | Preston North End | 19 | -8 | 28 |
Leeds are currently third in the Championship table, seven points adrift of the automatic promotion places.
The Yorkshire outfit will be aiming to close the gap to the top two during the busy December schedule.
Leeds are unbeaten in their last six games, winning five and drawing one, including a 1-0 win away to league leaders Leicester City.
The gap to the Foxes is now just eight points after 19 games.
Next up for Farke’s team is a clash away to Blackburn Rovers on 9 December.
Is Archie Gray worth £40 million?
McManaman is likely right that Liverpool aren’t yet seriously considering a move for Gray, but he must surely be on their radar at this point.
The £40 million asking price is far too much for a club to risk on someone with so little experience, especially at the highest level.
But for a player to be earning the kind of minutes Gray’s been getting at just 17 is a massively promising sign for their future.
Liverpool will be one of a number of clubs closely monitoring his progress this year, as he could yet be one of the stars of the future.
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