Everton star could join Saudi club ‘next week;’ Dyche set to offload more as Toffees exodus continues
Everton winger Demarai Gray is reportedly a target for Saudi club Al Hilal, who will hold talks with the Merseyside club ‘next week.’
Sean Dyche is expected to offload several players as he looks to fund his own transfer business. And, the manager has already lost some after their contracts came to an end.
For example, Yerry Mina, Tom Davies and Asmir Begovic are all now free agents after leaving Everton. This has got some big wages off the books, but, they will need to be replaced.
So, it’s possible one of them could be sold. At this stage, Onana seems the more likely player to leave. The Toffees reportedly value him at around £55m.
This all comes at a time when Everton need to generate as much cash as possible to buy players.
The club is currently under investigation by the Premier League for alleged breaches of its Profit and Sustainability rules. As a result, the Toffees have to clear every major transaction (i.e., signing players) through them.
So, while Everton supporters may not want to see some of their best players leave – every Toffees star has a price, at the moment.
The latest player to be linked with a departure is Gray. According to Sky Sports News, Al Hilal are keen on signing him this summer.
Al Hilal are set to send a delegation to negotiate with Everton as soon as ‘next week.’ So, the move could potentially be completed in the very near future.
The likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Neves have all made the switch to Saudi recently. Now, the Jamaica international could be the latest player to do so.
Gray signed for Everton for just £1.7m in 2021 during Rafa Benitez’s brief stint in charge of the club.
Since, he has made 75 appearances for the Blues. In the process, he has scored 12 goals and made six assists.
An exciting player to watch, Gray is quick and an effective dribbler. And, he occasionally nets a banger or two.
But ‘occasionally’ is the key word, as he has struggled to find consistent form at Everton. Although, given the constant switching of managers at the club, that is not necessarily his fault.
At the end of last season, Gray saw his minutes diminish under Dyche. This is partly due to the fact that while he carries a threat going forward, he doesn’t do a lot defensively.
So, he could be one of the players Dyche is happy to let go this summer for the right price.
Sky Sports do not mention what fee Everton want for him, but, they will no doubt try to take advantage of Saudi club’s tendency to spend big on Premier League players.
Interestingly, three unnamed Premier League clubs also hold an interest in Gray. So, the 26-year-old’s future is far from decided.
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