Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon has signed his contract as new Leeds United player.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 26-year-old defender will join the Whites for a fee of around £10 million.
In a completely separate deal, Leeds youngster Archie Gray will move to Spurs for a fee of around £40 million.
Gray was close to joining Brentford on 30 June after a deal was agreed. There were no issues with personal terms either, and the 18-year-old even underwent a medical.
However, Leeds called the deal off because they couldn’t agree on the payment structure. This opened the door for Spurs to make a move for Gray, and they have clinched the deal.
Romano wrote on X (2 July): “Joe Rodon has signed his contract as new Leeds United player, same for Archie Gray at Tottenham.
“Formal steps to follow as Rodon joins Leeds for £10m and Archie Gray will be new Spurs gem for £40m.”
Leeds United reluctantly sold Archie Gray
The Whites needed to offload one of their stars this summer to comply with the EFL’s financial rules, and the offer from Spurs was too good to turn down.
Gray enjoyed a breakthrough 2023-24 season, managing 52 games for Leeds in all competitions. He is primarily a central midfielder but can also play as a right-back.
Selling Gray was a tough decision for the Whites. However, Leeds now believes they have done enough to stay within the PSR limits and can’t be bullied into selling other key players like Crysencio Summerville, Illan Meslier, or Wilfried Gnonto.
Losing a homegrown talent always hurts, but Leeds can now rebuild the squad with one or two good signings.
Rodon was outstanding for Leeds last season, and getting him back permanently at a decent price is a terrific business move. The 44-times capped Wales defender was not in Ange Postecoglou’s plans, and he wanted to move to Elland Road.
It will be interesting to see if Leeds can secure a deal for Spurs midfielder Oliver Skipp, who could be sold in the summer.
