Andros Townsend pleased with Everton signing Demarai Gray in bargain deal
Everton snapped up Demarai Gray from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for £1.7million, and the attacking midfielder has hit the ground running.
The former England youth international, 25, has two goals in the three opening Premier League games of the campaign, and his fellow new signing Andros Townsend is impressed with what he has seen so far.
Not many fans and neutrals were pleased with the Toffees signing Gray, but Townsend has insisted having him under Rafa Benitez is without a doubt a match made in heaven.
The 30-year-old told talkSPORT (via Liverpool Echo): “You know what, I don’t know why, like, when Everton signed him they got a lot of stick. ‘Why have they signed Demarai Gray?’
“But this is a player, I remember Demarai Gray coming through and being the next best thing at Leicester.
“He was sharp, he was direct, and yes he maybe lost his way a little bit, for one reason or another with off the field issues, but he’s still the same Demarai Gray who burst through the scene at Leicester.
“And with a manager like Rafa, who leaves no stone unturned, who wants to improve every aspect of the player it’s a match made in heaven and you’re starting to see that already with the form of Demarai Gray.
“It’s probably one of the bargains of the summer. Listen, Messi has gone to PSG for free so that says a lot about how Demarai Gray has started.”
Talented player
Given his struggles in his last days at Leicester City and in the Bundesliga, people can be forgiven if the Toffees signing Gray did not get them excited.
The attacker scored just once during the six months he spent at Leverkusen, and the five seasons he spent at the King Power Stadium yielded just 10 Premier League goals.
For all his promises and huge potential, the jet-heeled winger has flattered to deceive in the past, and despite his impressive start to life as an Everton player, not many people are convinced he can deliver goods.
However, Goodison Park could have a different player on their hands thanks to manager Benitez.
The Spaniard is known for his willingness to always get the best out of his players, and Gray could finally start fulfilling his potential under his tutelage.
Many have dubbed the Everton attacker one of the bargains of the season, but he needs to show that consistency that has always been missing from his game, and Merseyside could be the perfect place for him.
In other Everton news, a pundit has predicted what is next in Rodriguez-Toffees saga after the window shut.
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