Callum O'Connell

Mon 24 July 2023 12:10, UK

Everton winger Demarai Gray is set to snub offers from Saudi Arabia in favour of joining Crystal Palace, as the South London side are expected to open talks for the player this week, according to Football Transfers.

The online outlet shared on 24 July that Gray is expected to join Palace this summer as he wishes to remain in the UK where his family is settled, despite approaches from Saudi Arabia. Everton have set their price for the winger at £12million.

Gray has become a top target for Palace after the club were left disappointed by Wilfried Zaha’s decision to snub the offer of a new contract in favour of joining Turkish giants Galatasaray.

For £12million, the club should take it and run

If Crystal Palace offer the reported price tag of £12million for Gray, Everton should take it and run.

The deal would represent a profit of £10.5million on a player who has hardly set the world alight at Goodison Park after he joined the Toffees from Leverkusen for just £1.5million just two years ago.

Gray has managed to score just nine Premier League goals across two seasons at Everton, with just four from 33 games last season, and has also provided just five assists in the same time frame.

For context, the departing Zaha managed 21 goals in his last two seasons in South London, which would prove an almost impossible task for Gray to replicate.

Palace have a reportedly small budget this summer, with Jefferson Lerma their only signing so far on a free transfer from Bournemouth, so if they stump up £12million on Gray, Everton would be getting the much better end of the deal.

Gray’s departure could allow Everton to explore more ambitious options as they remain interested in Leeds winger Willy Gnonto after Arnaut Danjuma arrived already.

In other Everton news, the club remain in the fight to sign ‘extraordinary’ player from Chelsea.