Man Utd set to miss out on reported target as £40m bid rejected and 'medical cancelled'

Manchester United’s reported transfer target looks set to be heading elsewhere in the Premier League despite seeing his deal fall apart over the last day or so. It was reported that Brentford were closing in on a deal for Leeds United star Archie Gray having submitted a £40million offer.

Leeds were originally said to be asking for £30million, but interest from a number of clubs meant the fee was always likely to rise. The Whites were reluctant to sell even after missing out on promotion tot he Premier League in the play-off final, but failure to win promotion has left them in a financial pickle, needing to raise significant money ahead of Sunday night’s Profit and Sustainability deadline.

Despite that, as reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds wound up rejecting a £40million bid from Brentford due to concerns over the payment structure. It was reported that personal terms had been agreed and that a medical had already been put in place.

But Leeds’ decision to reject a deal means Tottenham are now in pole position, as reported by the YEP, with the player willing to make the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. Talks are said to be ongoing, and a deal looks likely to be reached providing the £40million asking price is met.

TeamTALK have previously reported that United have shown an interest over recent days, but it does not as look as if they will be among the frontrunners for a deal despite a shift in transfer strategy towards young players following the arrival of minority owner Jim Ratcliffe. With Gray still only 18 and having been a key player last season, Leeds will be hugely disappointed to lose Gray, but they face little choice but to sell some of their biggest assets this summer to meet financial regulations.

Gray has previously said he wants to stay at Leeds, but he is also an ambitious young player who has dreams of representing England. He said earlier this year: “I want to try and win trophies with Leeds, that's always what I've dreamed of as a kid. Playing for England's first team is another one that every kid from England dreams of."

Leeds boss Daniel Farke has said of Gray: “I would not swap Archie with anyone in this league. He has more potential than any player in this league in this position.” The youngster played much of last season at full-back for Leeds, but he is also able to play in holding midfield. He said of his own versatility late last year: “It’s good to learn different perspectives of the game. Playing right-back is allowing me to understand the game even more for when I go back into midfield. You see players like James Milner playing different positions every game.“If I become anywhere near as good as him it would be unbelievable. I think my best position will be as a box-to-box midfielder but, as the game is changing, you have to be increasingly adaptable.”