Sky Sports share Everton transfer news on Demarai Gray exit with fee agreed
Everton winger Demari Gray will not be allowed to leave Goodison Park yet, despite the Toffees agreeing a fee with Saudi club Al Shabab, according to Sky Sports.
Tom White reported on Good Morning transfers on Monday (21 August) that the Toffees won’t allow the player to complete the transfer this summer until a replacement can be found with Sean Dyche hopeful of adding to his squad.
Gray had fallen down the pecking order at Goodison Park since Dyche’s arrival, but recent injury woes to several attacking options have left the Everton manager reluctant to sanction many outgoings from his playing squad.
Discussing the state of the deal, White said: “Everton have agreed a fee with Al Shabab for the winger Demari Gray. However, the player won’t leave before a replacement is found.
“Sean Dyche is keen to bring players in before the deadline with several injuries including Dwight McNeil, Alex Iwobi and recent signing Jack Harrison. With those players out the club can’t afford to weaken the squad any further so he won’t be going anywhere until a replacement is signed or these players come back from injury.”
Sensible decision
Everton already have a rather light squad but the wide positions are one of the few areas of the pitch well stocked when everyone at Goodison Park is fit and firing, however, that is far from the case currently.
Although Gray isn’t the preferred option of Dyche at the moment, he may be forced to use the Jamaican international if he is without the aforementioned trio for the upcoming games against Wolves and Sheffield United before the international break.
Wilfried Gnonto has been identified as the ideal replacement for Everton and the Toffees are working hard to ensure that deal is done before the transfer window closes and if the Italian is signed, that addition would likely be enough for Gray to secure his transfer.
The added injuries of Iwobi and Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the Toffees’ 4-0 defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday (20 August) may provide those at Goodison with an added spur to kick on and complete a deal for a new wide-man, whether Gnonto or somebody else.
In other Everton news, Ashley Cole has admitted that he was left feeling sorry for one Everton player who was plagued with injuries