James Garner and Lewis Dobbin send message to Demarai Gray after confirmed Everton transfer exit
Everton stars James Garner and Lewis Dobbin sent a three-word social media message to Demarai Gray following his confirmed departure to Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Ettifaq.
Steven Gerrard’s side announced the transfer of the former Leicester City man on their Twitter account on Thursday morning (7 September), putting an end to a long-running exit saga at Goodison Park.
The 27-year-old forward is believed to have signed a four-year contract in the Middle East in a deal worth around £10million, with the Toffees confirming his exit simultaneously.
Gray joined the likes of Alex Iwobi, Neal Maupay and Thomas Cannon in departing Goodison Park and in an Instagram post of the forward signing his Al-Ettifaq contract, Garner and Dobbin both responded to send their farewells to the departed Everton forward.
They wrote: “Good luck brother.”
Glad the saga has ended
This has been a transfer saga that has rumbled on for weeks after Sean Dyche made it clear the forward wasn’t in his plans for this season, even despite blocking his exit during the transfer window.
It is the best move for all parties involved as Everton gets rid of a player who no longer wants to be a part of the club and Gray fulfils his ambitions to seek pastures new elsewhere.
And while the likes of Dobbin and Garner have gone out of their way to congratulate Gray on his Goodison Park exit, both players will certainly be glad that the saga that had brought a huge cloud over the club has come to an end.
It was clear the Jamaican international did not want to set foot on the Goodison Park pitch again after what he felt had been a year of mistreatment and “disrespect” under Dyche’s tenure when he simply could not get in the team despite their depleted attacking options last season.
Now it’s time for Everton to move on now, and one player will certainly use this new exit as a chance to make his name on Merseyside and that is certainly Dobbin who has been handed the first-team limelight already this season.
This is Garner’s season to make an impression too. The ball is in both their courts.
In other Everton news, Alan Myers has shared his stance on whether Everton will explore a free transfer opportunity to replace Gray.