Newcastle Eyes Archie Gray as Midfield Rebuild Continues

Newcastle United’s overhaul in the middle of the park is gathering pace, and it may not stop with the imminent arrival of Manchester City’s Nico Gonzalez.

Matthias Jaissle has already seen Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali walk out the door this summer. Joe Willock could follow, with Besiktas circling. That kind of turnover forces a club into action, and Newcastle have spent the past few weeks scouring the market for answers.

Lucas Bergvall of Tottenham has been one name on the list. Now another Spurs midfielder has moved back into focus.

Newcastle revive interest in Archie Gray

According to the Daily Mail, via DeadlineDaylive, Newcastle have renewed their interest in Archie Gray. The 20-year-old is admired not just for his talent, but for the range of roles he can cover.

Gray joined Tottenham from Leeds United in a £40 million (€46 million) deal and has already racked up 81 appearances for the club. He has been used in central midfield, at centre-back and at right-back, though his natural home remains in midfield. That kind of flexibility is exactly what appeals to Newcastle as they try to rebuild a unit that has been ripped apart.

Getting him out of north London, though, would not come cheap.

Price tag and Spurs stance

Gray’s market value is currently estimated at around €35 million, but the Daily Mail reports that Tottenham rate him far higher. Spurs are said to value him at more than £60 million (€69 million) and view him as an important part of Roberto De Zerbi’s plans.

That stance comes despite a huge outlay this summer. Tottenham have already spent around €267 million and are under obvious pressure to bring in funds through sales. The report, however, makes clear that Gray is not among the players they would prefer to move on.

His status inside the club only grew over the summer. Gray captained Spurs during preseason and then wore the armband again in their Premier League opener against Brentford. Even with that responsibility, the England Under-21 international has not yet nailed down a permanent spot in his favoured midfield role.

Newcastle’s dilemma

For Newcastle, Gonzalez now appears to be the immediate priority for midfield. That reduces any temptation to rush into an expensive move for Gray or to pay over the odds simply to make a statement before the Sept. 1 deadline.

The question lingers all the same. With a valuation north of £60 million and other areas of the squad also demanding attention, is Gray the player to justify a marquee outlay? Or, once the Gonzalez deal is wrapped up, should Newcastle’s money be pushed towards different positions as Jaissle shapes the next version of his side?