Rafa Benitez reveals he kept tabs on Demarai Gray before getting Everton job
Everton are flying under Rafa Benitez, with three victories and a draw to their name in the opening four fixtures of the Premier League season.
Despite spending just £1.7million during the summer transfer window, they are currently in the top-four and would be dreaming of finishing there come May.
The Toffees did not make the type of marquee signings the fans would have wanted in the summer, but Demarai Gray, 25, is proving to be a fine addition to their squad.
He cost only £1.7million, but the transfer had been in the pipeline for some time, with Benitez revealing that he had been keeping tabs on him since his days in the Newcastle United dugout.
“When I was at Newcastle we played against Leicester and he did really well,” Benitez said (via Liverpool Echo).
“Since then we were following him and I was in contact with his agent asking about how he was doing.
“I also sent the boy a message when he was in Germany asking how he was getting on and how was he adapting to the style of life in Germany?
“So I had communication and was following him. I told my staff to keep an eye on him because we knew he has the potential.”
Huge potential
He scored only 10 Premier League goals in 133 games for the Foxes, but Gray already has three in four appearances for Everton.
It is a massive return given how much he cost the Blues, and Benitez got this transfer decision right.
The attacker was mostly a substitute during his time at Leicester, but his potential was evident to see, with his pace and tricks causing the opposition a lot of problems.
He never hit the heights many expected him to despite playing a key role when the King Power Stadium outfit won their Premier League title, and his brief spell at Bayer Leverkusen was far from mind-blowing.
However, everyone is witnessing a different Gray from the one they used to see, and his move to Goodison Park has given him a new lease of life.
It is still early days, but the attacker has taken the top-flight by storm on his return, and if he keeps going at this rate, his value will surely continue to skyrocket.
In other Everton news, Jamie Carragher has explained why Benitez is better for the Toffees than Carlo Ancelotti.
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