Transfer Rumours Summer Transfer Thread 21/22

Everton have signed Bayer Leverkusen winger Demarai Gray on a three-year deal for fee understood to be £1.7m.

The 25-year-old's contract includes the option for a fourth year.


Gray is the third signing of new boss Rafael Benitez's reign after winger Andros Townsend and keeper Asmir Begovic joined the club.

Gray, who won the Premier League with Leicester in 2016, has joined up with the Everton squad in Orlando for the Florida Cup.

"I'm delighted to be back in the Premier League at such a big club and I'm excited to play with the team and get to work," Gray told Everton TV.

"Speaking to the manager and [director of football] Marcel Brands, I had a really good feel for the club and I feel this is a place where I can continue to develop.

"The manager, with his ambition and what he has won in the past, is important and we'll look to push forward and compete with the top clubs. I think a club of this magnitude has all the potential to be right up there."

Birmingham-born Gray left Leicester in January 2021 and signed an 18-month deal with Bayer Leverkusen but he only made 12 appearances for the German side last season, scoring one goal.

 

If it doesnt go on the squad/wage bill it comes off the debt, hence lowering the asking price doesnt it?

 

Jarrod can take a proper penalty though, unlike some.

 

Take this or leave it (as I'm not sure if it's already been said), but Huddlestone was at the training ground today.

 

He would be a great signing. The experience would be hugely beneficial.

 

Do we have a coaching vacancy?

 

I mean you can never have too many good coaches. I don't know in what capacity he was there, but if I had to guess I'd say he was training with us to keep fit.

 

He would, to be fair. He never had any pace to begin with, so I find it unlikely there's anything he couldn't do now that he already couldn't do when he was with us before.

Plus he's got a sensible haircut now.

 

He’d make a good centre half or defensive midfielder. Alternative to Slater?

 

It depends what he would want for wages. If he was happy to accept what we offered Slater, it's money saved and we get a player we know about and who can benefit us. He'd excel with players like Wilks in the team, those long balls plus pace would be fantastic.

 

I suppose some pay is better than no pay.

 

He hardly played at derby
I liked Tom great player but his times gone

 

Will he be available for the number games Slater would be? He could cover centre half at a push but unless its a player/coach role then im not sure about this one. Hasnt played for a year ffs and how old is he now?

Ticks the experience box but you've surely gotta wonder how mobile he'd be these days.

 

He was never mobile in the first place. I mean, I'm 33 and I can run for 90 minutes on a football pitch and he's an experienced, professional footballer. His strength isn't his pace, it's that he can pick a pass pretty much anywhere on the field. He never really had to run.

 

We've got to take what we can get. Having him in the squad, even as cover for cover would be good for the young ones if the finances were correct.

 

I see your point, but even less mobile than before would be a concern for me - especially out of posession.

I guess theyll be taking a look at him before offering a deal - could even just be training with us ahead of trying to get a lower league club.

 

Great! He'll never score for us then.

 

That's what I think he's doing. You never know, but that's the more likely outcome.

 

Doing his agent a favour in the hope of one in return?

 

Who's this Roberson bloke???