Demarai Gray: Everton rejected £7.5m bid at 6.30pm on deadline day – sources
Everton rejected a bid for winger Demarai Gray from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq on transfer deadline day (1 September), sources have told Football Insider.
A well-placed source has revealed that the offer totalled £7.5million and was lodged at 6.30 pm as the deadline approached.
Everton rebuffed the approach as they felt unable to add a replacement for Gray in time.
Al-Ettifaq are managed by Steven Gerrard and their star men include former Liverpool favourites Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.
Gray is yet to feature for Everton this season amid ongoing speculation over his future at Goodison Park.
His number 11 shirt has also been taken by new signing Jack Harrison.
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The Jamaica international took to Instagram (as quoted the BBC, 3 September) to dig at manager Sean Dyche, saying: “Everton fans have always been great with me but it’s so difficult to play for someone who don’t show you respect as a person.”
The winger is under contract on Merseyside until June 2024, but there is an option in his reported £25,000-a-week deal for a 12-month extension.
He joined the club in 2021 from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of just £1.7million and made an instant impact upon his return to the Premier League.
Gray managed six goals and five assists in the 2021-22 campaign and followed that haul up with six strikes and one assist last season as Everton narrowly avoided relegation.
The Toffees lost attackers Alex Iwobi, Tom Cannon and Neal Maupay to English clubs on deadline day.
Dyche’s side are yet to register a Premier League win this season and sit 18th in the table following their 1-1 away draw against Sheffield United on Saturday (2 September).
In other news, Everton pay “high seven-figure” sum to get rid of flop.
