Timing a signing perfectly can allow a club to not only capitalise on talent to make an immediate impact but also save a fair chunk of change.
Liverpool might struggle in that joint aim when it comes to Archie Gray, however. The Anfield-linked talent, currently valued by Leeds between £30m-40m, is reportedly expected to sign a new contract, according to Football Insider,
A swoop for the 17-year-old at this early stage in his career for such a figure might be a little beyond the Reds’ reach.
Do Liverpool gamble?
As we’ve seen recently with Jude Bellingham, the right time to have struck would have most certainly been in the player’s Birmingham City days.
That is, before his talent rather gloriously exploded on the European stage. Allowing Gray to follow a similar trajectory could see his value triple – if we take the comparison with Trent Alexander-Arnold (Football Transfers) seriously – in the coming years.
A look at our No.66’s valuation over the years, according to Football Transfers’ valuation system, indeed sees it more than triple from £26.8m in the summer of 2018 to a peak of£90.7m in the summer of 2022.
Could the Leeds United youngster be another star talent primed to soar off toward the £100m valuation mark?
If so, do Liverpool gamble now to avoid missing out on the player capable of playing as both a right-back and holding midfielder?