Everton look to snub Fulham agreement for Demarai Gray transfer, West Ham United and Crystal Palace also in the hunt
Everton are still “looking to keep” Demarai Gray for next season despite the risk of losing him for free in a year, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper reported on its website on 2 August that while the 27-year-old winger is wanted by Premier League rivals West Ham, Crystal Palace and Fulham, as well as Turkish side Besiktas, the Toffees still want to keep him.
Everton have been in negotiations with Marco Silvas side and are “awaiting an improved bid” from them as they tie up a deal to sign teenage striker Youssef Chermiti from Sporting, but Simon Jones reports in The Mail that “despite facing the prospect of losing him for free next season, Everton are thought to be looking to keep him at the club for the next campaign”.
Sky Sports reports Rob Dorsett and Alan Mayers reported on Monday (31 July) that a “verbal agreement” had already been reached to sell the Jamaica international to Fulham.
Gray has been expected to move on in the past few weeks, with Saudi Arabian interest also present in the race, while he agreed personal terms with the Cottagers ahead of a fee being settled between the clubs according to David Ornstein on Tuesday.
But with Sean Dyche not letting him leave until replacements are ready to come in perhaps the manager has decided to cut out the middle man and just keep the former Bayer Leverkusen winger himself.
About turn?
On talent alone there is certainly a good argument for keeping Gray in the squad this season given the need for attacking options at Goodison Park.
If he didn’t already play for Everton he is the sort of player that the club would probably feel pretty good about bringing in during a difficult transfer window such as this.
But with multiple green lights towards him leaving already, on the personal terms and verbal agreement with Fulham, as well as a nominal direct replacement signed on loan in Arnaut Danjuma, it would be a big surprise for the Toffees to shut the deal down now.
All signs in recent weeks pointed to the prospect of a useful transfer fee being worth more to the manager than Gray himself this season.
Dyche has preferred Alex Iwobi and Dwight McNeil and now has Danjuma as well, while further attacking recruits are on the agenda before the window shuts.
Given the record of injury and lack of form in forward areas over the past two seasons the Everton boss can’t really have too many forwards to choose from, but with £12.8m set to be spent on Chermiti it seems likely that Dyche would prefer some cash back from Gray’s sale.
Having got this far it would be a very sudden change of heart, but even if a sale is still on the cards to Fulham or one of the other suitors they will need to stump up the right money.
In other Everton news, Dyche could be in line for a welcome financial boost with the sale of a player who is surplus to requirements as rich suitors emerge.