'A saga that reveals a lot about where both Tottenham and Brentford are'
- Published
Midfielder Archie Gray was brought to London by Brentford, not Tottenham, as the Bees believed they were close to securing arguably the biggest transfer in the club's history.
Brentford technical director Lee Dykes had led the charge to pull off one of the biggest coups in recent times.
However, after failing to agree a payment structure to satisfy Leeds United, Spurs managed to change the course of the deal to sign Gray for 拢30m, plus the 拢10m Joe Rodon going the other way, to meet the 拢40m release clause to ensure the 18-year-old's exit.
The signing of Gray on a six-year deal in north London ends a saga which reveals a lot about where both Tottenham and Brentford are.
Spurs may often get ridiculed for failing to win trophies by fans of other big clubs, but they are widely perceived to be a great place for British talent to develop within the football ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the Bees are also highly regarded across the game. They have ambitions to push towards European qualification and are willing to spend big to do so.
However, to do that, they need to attract another level of talent - and that has proved difficult at times for Thomas Frank's side.