The Eagles have been tracking the 17-year-old talent for some time and his first-team breakthrough has put them on red alert [The Sun, 24 September] and they may not be the only English top-flight club interested should the Whites fail to seal Premier League promotion.

The Whites lost several first-team stars this summer, either permanently or on a temporary basis, after their relegation to the Championship with the likes of Tyler Adams, Luis Sinisterra, Marc Roca, Max Wober and Rasmus Kristensen seeking pastures new to play top-level football.

Manager Farke has done incredibly well to assemble a squad capable of challenging at the top end of the Championship in such a short space of time, amidst all the recruitment pressure in the latter stages of the window.

And one of the key components of his new and improved squad has been the rapid development and maturity of Gray who has already proven a key facet of the German’s midfield, featuring in ten appearances for the first team so far this season.

Palace’s interest in Gray will come as no surprise to fans of the Eagles, with their recent transfer strategy focused on bringing in some of the Championship’s top young talent and giving them space to develop with regular football.

However, the 49ers Enterprises who also hold such ambitions of their own especially if Farke leads them back into the Premier League next season, will certainly count this interest as a desperate need to act and secure Gray’s future at Elland Road with his current deal coming to an end in 2025 [Transfermarkt].

If the Whites do not address his current contract situation, they face the prospect of wasting millions on him with the likes of Palace or another top-flight club securing his signature for next to nothing next summer, with his contract only having a year to run.

Even if they were to fail in their English top-flight promotion bid, the fact that they tied down Gray to a new deal puts them in a strong position should the likes of Palace come to the negotiation table.

Leeds united
Former Eurosport journalist Dean Jones, speaking to GiveMeSport on September 29, said both sides will need to be patient as Gray will not start every week, but he could instead benefit from became “a big part” of Daniel Farke’s “positive” project. just a “small part” of a Premier League club.

It would certainly make more financial sense for Leeds United to give first-team opportunities to their academy talent and guarantee them long-term contracts while honing their skills for at least several years before agreeing to part ways to make a huge and healthy profit. .

With Gray only just beginning to develop at Elland Road, the 49ers and Farke must act now to secure his growing and exciting future at Leeds United.

In other Leeds news, the former Whites star shows his affection for Leeds fans after what he did in the European Championship match.