Leicester City winger Demarai Gray looks set to leave the King Power Stadium having only made one league appearance this season, which was as a late sub against Crystal Palace in December.
The 24-year-old former Birmingham City winger has been subject to a lot of interest from clubs in England and abroad, as Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed last month that Gray is likely to leave the Foxes for a new challenge.
Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen are the favourites to sign Gray, as they are looking to add further depth to their squad, having signed Timothy Fosu-Mensah from Manchester United for just £1.5m.Sport1 has suggested that Leverkusen could sign Gray for as little as €2m which would be an excellent piece of business, as they are a side that typically looks to develop talent and sell them on for big profit margins, as they have done in recent years with the likes of Kai Havertz and Heung-Min Son.
This would be a good move for Gray, as it would give him the platform to perform on the European stage, and with the likes of Leon Bailey being frequently linked to Premier League clubs, there could be a great opportunity for the 24-year-old to play first-team football at a club that has a good track record of finishing in the Champions League qualification places in the Bundesliga.
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Southampton are looking to bolster their attacking options in their squad with the addition of Gray, as they tend to play in a 4-4-2 formation with pacey wingers and strikers, so the former Birmingham man would fit into Ralph Hassenhuttl’s sides plans perfectly, as he can play on either wing and with the Austrian often rotating his squad, he is in need of a fourth senior winger having sold Sofiane Boufal to Angers and loaned Mohamed Elyounoussi back to Celtic in the summer.
This would be a good move for Gray, as Southampton have tended to revitalise players whose careers have been at standstills in recent years, such as strike pairing Theo Walcott and Danny Ings, and in Hassenhuttl’s system, he will have the freedom to flourish, as the Saints tend to rely heavily on their wingers and strikers for goals and creativity.
Crystal Palace are next in on the list at 5/1, as they look to decrease the average age of their starting line-up which currently stands at 28.7 years old.
Roy Hodgson’s side are in need of a new winger, having mutually terminated Maximilian Mayer’s contract who often played there for the Eagles, they will also be looking to add more pace out wide, as Wilfried Zaha has often been used as a second striker alongside the likes of Jordan Ayew and Christian Benteke.
A move to Palace would be very beneficial for Gray, as with the talent he has at his disposal, he is more than likely going to be a first-team regular at Selhurst Park and will be able to showcase his qualities on a regular basis.
Olympique Marseille are rumoured to be interested in Gray, as former Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas is looking for potential long-term replacements for the likes of Dimitri Payet and Florian Thauvin.
Former West Ham United man Payet is set to turn 34-years-old in March, whilst Thauvin’s contract expires at the end of this coming season, and with the likes of AC Milan and Leicester City being linked to the 2018 World Cup winner, it would not surprise to see the Frenchman explore his options within the next six months.
Marseille have previous in signing British players, as they signed the likes of Joey Barton and Steven Fletcher on loan in 2012 and 2016, and with the ethos of the club changing since then, with the French side opting to sign younger players under Villas-Boas, a move would do Gray well, as he could develop his game outside of England and gain regular first-team football which would also open up moves to other clubs in Europe if he is to perform to the standards that he is capable of.
Benfica are last on this list of clubs to sign Gray, with the Portuguese side looking to get the young Englishman on a cut-price fee.
Benfica are known for investing in young talent in order to develop them and to try and sell them on for large profits, and Gray would follow a recent trend of Englishman to try their luck in the Portuguese league, with the likes of Marcus Edwards and Angel Gomes plying their trade in Liga NOS at present.
