Al Shabab move for Gray in doubt

I'd say he's gonna wait for an English club to come back in for him, it's reported he's got a young family in the uk and he doesn't want to be too far away from them.

Saudi would benefit us way more as I assume they'll pay over the odds.

Had to do a double take reading this article then realized there was a missing “a” Al Shabab versus Al Shabaab the Somali Al Qaeda affiliate. I was thinking for a moment the club had sunk to a new low in its quest for investment.

It might be an attractive move for Denarai. He's 27, gave up hope on England abs opted for Jamaica. Decent shot of playing in the next World Cup for Jamaica regardless of where he plays his football with the USA, Canada and Mexico qualifying as hosts leaving room for the second tier CONCACAF teams to qualify. I'd imagine he would command a better wage than in the prem, tax free. He won't be a top tier star there but will be a lot better than any of the homegrown talent. Could be an attractive proposition if like Henderson, Benzema and co he's not concerned with human rights…..

I thought Mr Dyche had said that Gray had not been played because of injury? Perhaps the Saudis rang Bill to ask what he would do and were told not to worry about it as Everton do it all the time.

I know nothing about Gray's private life including the age of his kids whom he might not like taking away from their schools and friends but didn't we sign him from Germany. Or may be that's why his transfer fee was so low, to return to UK but this move may set up not only him but also his kids, for life. Whatever, good luck to him on his decision.

Frankly, he'd be mad not to take this.

Escaping the asylum that is Everton with its pre-Cambrian manager (and that's w-a-a-a-y before the dinosaurs), Bidenesque owner, and Jabba the Twat would be a liberation.

What a waste that would be. Hope he stays in the Premier League with a sane club. Can't believe he isn't involved.

Gray is another one of those players that becomes better the more he doesn't play …

Haha My thoughts exactly, Chris.

He's not in Dyche's plans so this move is the best possible outcome as they will pay the full asking price. It's clear we need strengthening in a few positions so we need every extra million we can get.

Hopefully we are getting good coin if it's a Saudi club. If that's the case it was excellent business out of the club and we should just leave it there.

Hot and cold player who is one of the few who can probably hold their head up over recent times. Clearly there is an issue, either its personal between him and SD or SD just doesn't fancy him? We won't know either way but it's been clear for a while he's off. I wish him well.

How much?

£2m and The Transfer Maestro did the deal himself…..

Probably

If he wasn't already our player then we'd be trying to sign him.

Chris you've hit the nail on the head perfectly there.

He has one good game every 7 or 8 matches. Epitomises our inconsistency. If we can get double figures for him it will be a miracle.

We need some serious players in this week.

One of the very very few at Everton who can provide something different. Inconsistent but occasionally exciting.

Blimey… 'Everton' and 'exciting' in the same sentence! In defence, I am due my meds.

If he does go to Saudi, see if he can smuggle Maupay in his suitcase.

In a month's time, are we going to be asking "Where's the Demarai Gray money?"

Gray's sale is how we are probably funding the Che Adams purchase.

I don't think we need to go for Gnonto, We have McNeil, Harrison, Danjuma, Dobbin as wingers. If a good offer came in for Iwobi, I would sell him because all through his long career with Everton, he has only flattered to deceive.

Along with Onana, if we can get enough to buy 2 solid midfielders, like McTominay and one other, that would help improve the squad.

And his shirt number has already been given away. Worse message than the one given to Niasse.

This transfer fee will prob be undisclosed...

Ie less than 10m

Who's doing these deals?
Why is Bill Kenwright still Chairman of Everton Football Club?
Where is the CEO, CFO?
Where is a board of Directors?
Where is Moshiri?

How can you do a deal, and then say it's contingent on finding a replacement? I've never heard anything so utterly ridiculous from a supposed professional EPL football club….if you were an actual functioning entity then a replacement would have been found thus triggering the deal.

The football club is completely dysfunctional and the media aren't saying a word.

Joined Fulham in the 'race' to sign Hudson Odoi.

Thats it! Get rid of any player that has a goal in him! Keep the dud!

Soren #21] In this instance if the player has indicated he's likely to leave at the end of his contract in June 24 you can understand the club might see the merit in taking £ x now rather than £0 in June (as has happened so often in recent seasons), especially as we clearly need funds from somewhere/anywhere.

Dyche should have played him on the wing yesterday, instead of playing Garner out of position. It seems he's fully fit, but Dyche seemed to suggest he was injured?
I believe Hudson-Odoi would be a better option than Gnonto

Kieran @ 2, I had the same thought

Nick @19

All very good questions and particularly if the unsubstantiated rumours that Bill is once again, currently suffering from ill-health, I reckon that Moshiri is negotiating everything and nobody within the confines of the club has anything to do with it.

I just wish that all of them would go away and take up fishing or some other past-time that doesn't interfere with the sanity and well being of Evertonians.

Keeping the fee very quiet considering no one else has undisclosed figure which means we are getting more than they are saying but won't have to spend it on the striker we need.

God we need some rabbits out of hats. I think the only thing that would turn this round is Kalvin Phillips on loan, Lukaku, Gnonto and a centre-back.

Yes, I dare to dream.

I doubt he'll ever get a bigger pay day and not sure why his family couldn't go with him for a while. Not like he's moving there the rest of his life – probably only 2-3 years.

Also, a lot of expats working in Saudi actually live in Bahrain….

One of our better players that cost next to fuck all so we sell him. Brilliant.

One of our better buys recently but a highlights player ultimately who Dyche has never felt able to rely upon.

He can leave with his head held high but anything around £12-15m is good business for everyone. McNeil, Danjuma and Harrison are better wingers in my opinion. Gnonto will be too if he comes.

Maybe we should spend some of that money on a centre-back or a proper Number 6.

Sam...with our business acumen there is not a snowball in hell chance of getting that figure. I'd be amazed if we recouped north of £5 million

Sam, we definitely need 'a proper number 6'.

Apparently interested in Conor Coady for £10M.

The above comments are amusing. He cost, supposedly, £1.7M, and we are cashing in because we are financially desperate against P&S Rules to try to improve our squad.

As with most of our present performing players, his consistency is his inconsistency; 1 good game in 8 it says above – exactly. He can score a Worldy, but that is just as rare. He seems to think he is better than he is.

Gray stops with the ball when he is on the front foot much more than he manages to help continue any attacking play, and that just isn't good enough. He poses and piddles about too much, and Pickford does so, as well.

Too many of them do; flattering to deceive and making out, in the LFC Echo, they care, then playing like they don't, like at Villa and most away games.

It is the players of 6 managers that are making a laughing stock of the football club I love. The managers contribute by choosing players who consistently fail to deliver, and not giving a chance to others whom they too often ignore, then either loan out or sell, without giving them a proper chance to show what they can do.

I am in despair at the nonsense I am witnessing from the top to the bottom of this massive under-performing football club. It is tiring and exasperating.

Dane @ 34

Gray stops with the ball when he is on the front foot much more than he manages to help continue any attacking play

Like he did at Man City, rocketing the ball into the top corner? Try watching the few games he's been allowed to play in: he reaches the opposition box, and there's no one there to pass to, except maybe our dwarf striker, hiding behind a 6ft 4in centre-back. And it's not just him, most of our play breaks down in the last 3rd due to lack of striking options.

Gray was our top scorer until he was sidelined in favour of McNeil, and for what we paid for him, he's up there with Coleman and Cahill as value for money.

Even today, his representative has said he prefers to stay at Everton, and unlike those who haven't realised that we've been severely weakened by the loss of Mina and Coady, who along with Gray's goals, helped keep us up.

Losing another of our better players is another feather in Kenwright's plan to destroy Everton after the fans dared to question his devotion and unswerving loyalty to the club.

"Also, a lot of expats working in Saudi actually live in Bahrain…."

Only those that can drive over the "beer bridge" to work in Dharan; other places like Riyadh where Al Shabab FC, is are too far to drive.

And don't forget that every time you want to leave Saudi you need to get an exit-re-entry permit so that makes it logistically unfeasable on a regular basis.

ps: Back in my day in the sandpits, you also needed written permission from the local police to travel more than 50 km from your registered address.

Eric Myles - 36,

A friend of mine, British, regularly came over from Saudi to Bahrain when I was living in Manama. That was in 2016 I think.

Eric 36, I'd be amazed if the Saudis treated expat footballers like ‘normal' expats.

Any hint of restrictive/invasive behaviour and they'd be off/refuse to come and that would be an early death to the SPL. The stars earning millions and on billboards everywhere I'm sure can travel as they please as long as they're performing on the pitch and behaving themselves.

Despite the western press living there today isn't the same as it was 10-15 years ago and speaking to people who go there regularly it's actually ok. The western press make out as if you're in some sort of prison when over there. (Not that I condone the regime mind.)

After the debacle of the Villa game, the news that night was that we were (finally) taking things seriously and had agreed a price with Soton..

We were also seriously putting a bid in for a new winger (not one we had been chasing for 3 month but a new one who no one had considered before)

4 days later. fuck all

the club are hoping that the wailing of the fans has died down enough to drift back to the usual shit.

4 signings so far, a young player for the future (not yet apparently) an old geezer and 2 loans who will go back to their own clubs in 9 months

The outside investment has drifted away, the stadium is running late and over budget, the owner and Chairman don't bother coming to games but will get the local CiD involved if you touch the chairmans picture above the turnstiles. the new permanent board are having second thoughts. The FFP panel are about to give us a kicking and we still cant move cannon and Gray out.
I forgot to mention that Dele, Gomez and Gbamin are fleecing the club on a daily basis with no input to the team..

The whole thing stinks of incompetence..

ask yourself 'what would Everton do?'

Steve Cotton--Time to watch cricket !!

Seriously though it is a bad state of affairs and with the hope of better things this season seemingly unfounded what else can we do.

When you have an incompetent board and a team crying out for some class they are scraping the barrel for less than average players and cannot get rid of those who contribute nothing.

It is a recipe for disaster which they somehow avoided last season but the writing is on the wall now.sad to say.

Leigh Leopards are just up the East Lancs Road, just won the Challenge Cup and are nailed on for the playoffs. Rugby League is a cracking game, no big time Charlies, no obscene wages, and it doesn't cost you a fortune to go. The technology they use doesn't drive you around the bend and the referees are respected.

I'm quickly falling out of love with football. Bar watching Everton, I couldn't care less if I never watched a game again. Regarding Gray, if we can get double figures for him, that'll be a good return on our investment, I'm not bothered about losing him.

Hopefully they will contribute to his wages on this season-long loan deal for Demarai.

I am ready for the window to close so we can stop wasting time listening to fake news from Bobble Head and look forward to rumours about trying to sign that fat bloke as a free agent who snubbed us for Forest in January.

Then we can hear how the Branthwaite money is ring-fenced for January… oh, and that Man Utd bought Onana for £5 two seconds before midnight on deadline day so there was no time to replace him.

Mick, I absolutely love rugby league it's far better than football. And like you said, football could learn a lot from rugby.

Just read that everything was agreed with Che Adams, but Southampton want £5M up front which we won't agree to.

So the deal is stalled for the time being. Makes me wonder whether we are having second thoughts.

Southampton led us up the garden path, let us talk to the player, and then, at the last minute start asking for money.

Who the hell do they think they are?

My assessment of Gray is not that he is a great player … but he is the only player in the current team that makes me excited when he is on the ball.

Kevin, Every club has our pants down. That's why we are where we are.

Now being reported that Gray has agreed to a deal with Al-Shabab but the £12M transfer still needs to be finalized between the clubs.

Gray being run out of town by Dyche reminds me of when FSW ran Digne out. At least this time tho, we won't have to watch him weekly firing his new team into Top 6 of the league.

Gary @50,

My son is a Claret and I was at Turf Moor today. Digne didn't have a good game and was taken off corners. But I get your drift certainly.

Mick I'm with you on Rugby League.

Nico Elvedi who's been linked with us now his Wikipedia says “as a child he had Tony Hibbert posters and his first words were “kopites are gobshites.”

Kieran, if that's true then give the man a contract for life and get Hibbo in as his PT.

Kieran, it's now been edited to include “every single one of them, even the little baby ones. UTFT!”

Well ok, I made up the last bit, the F wasn't included.

Neil haha

If this move were to collapse, and there were no other takers... what then?

Dyche clearly doesn't rate him, and the fact his squad number was stripped and handed to Jack Harrison speaks volumes. I don't see how he could be reintegrated, the bridge has already been burned.

That would be a bit of a Gray area, Bill.

Bill #56, he probably doesn't even have a locker either.

I'm sure Gray will get a move somewhere. For £10-12M ,he offers good pace and the ability to counter. His set pieces are decent and he's usually good for a few goals.

Someone will take him, either Saudi or Fulham, Palace, Luton or Sheffield United. He's not on big wages either which is crucial. (who the hell decided to pay Holgate £75k per week?!!).

Hopefully we can take that money and put it towards a young right-winger or even a centre-back.

Someone like Bakayoko or Gnonto would be the dream but I suspect they will both be too expensive. Sulemana would be great but also may be tricky.

I'd like Chaibi at Toulouse who I think would really suit Dyche but Roony Bardghji from Kobenhavn is an interesting young player. Or Nusa from Brugges, Diallo on loan, Doue from Rennes or Wimmer from Wolfsburg.

Lots of options out there but assuming that Harrison might be first-choice right-wing this season we should be looking for someone younger to take over next year when he returns to Leeds.

Agree Sam, someone will take Gray for that price, especially when reportedly on sensible wages. I wish him well but I am not sad to see him go, we need more transfers done with profit in mind.

I like some of those players you mentioned, never heard of Doue though. I would like to see your latter suggestion materialise, someone young and raw to come in and learn the ropes, developed for next season when Harrison's loan finishes.

The player I would have liked is Gustav Isaksen but I see Lazio snapped him up, hard working and industrious, he would have slotted right in.

Still waiting on Beto I see, why oh why do we ALWAYS make it so drawn out and frustrating? I know there are alot of factors to consider when signing someone but boy do we seem to make a pigs ear of it. It's almost like we make it easy for them to pull out at the last minute.

I might be in the minority, but I'd be disappointed to lose Gray.

However if those commenting are accurate and we get between £10 - 12M for a player that cost us about £1.5M, then it's good business.

As long as we reinvest in the team.

I agree, Danny. I think he's a good player, and in his first season, he was one of our best players and a decent goalscorer.

If he wants to go, though, and make a good living, then good luck to the lad. He played a lot better than players we'd bought for much more than he cost.

Another player, being linked with a move prior to Friday, is Alex Iwobi, who The Mail report says that Fulham are interested in purchasing?

Iwobi attracts Fulham interest?

Bill #56.

Bill if Gnonto can be reintegrated at Leeds I'm sure Gray could here.

But there's plenty of time after our own transfer window closes as others remain open.

Gray has been a qualified success for us to date but given the signings so far this summer we are covered in the wide areas.

Dave @66,

I can never understand why any club allows a player to enter the last 12 months of his contract. This usually ends up with the player leaving and the club don't get a penny.

When he enters the last 12 months, it's clear there will have been discussions between the player and the club over a new contract but the players holds all the aces at this point.

His agent will be talking to interested clubs and negotiating what his player will want as a signing-on fee seeing they don't have to pay Everton a transfer fee. But this isn't the first time Everton have let a player run down his contract and it's almost become the norm for this club.

Iwobi now in his last 12 months can sign a pre-agreement with a club outside the UK in January, so if he does that, do you really want that player playing for the team?

Dave 66, 🙏🙏🙏 Please Marco

Please let this be true.

Christopher # 65, I think that must be right.

Dyche seems to set us up in a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-5-1 variant – with a lone striker, two wide players and Doucouré the most advanced of a central midfield three.

We should soon have Beto, Calvert-Lewinand Chermiti for the lone striker role (and possibly Cannon and / or Maupay too depending what happens in the next couple of days).

With McNeil and Harrison on the books, there's a good chance that Danjuma and Dobbin are seen as the Gray replacement (and understandably so). Although there's a lot of noise about Gnonto, Sulemana etc we might have moved on from that now.

As for Iwobi, there hasn't really been much reported interest. Annoying if he leaves on a free, but not a disaster. He's a better footballer than Doucouré and may be our best option as the most advanced central midfielder (or at least a decent alternative option, given Doucouré's game can be effective but he's a very limited footballer).

I think Iwobi is like a headless chicken and if we can get money for him, then I hope he's sold.

ps: Good points, Brian.

Gray still flatters to deceive as far as I'm concerned. He can be brilliant, but he only does it every now & then so his worth to the team is often quite limited. He's always lacked consistency – he's our current Mirallas.

The Saudi deal will still go through – as I said in another thread, it's not the club in Saudi, it's the PIF (Public Investment Fund) who identify the players they want in the league, and then it's up to them and the clubs to decide who plays for who.

Just because Al Shahab might not want him anymore, the league does so he'll just go to another club.

Dave #66.

If Iwobi goes, me and you are gonna riot, à la Tony Hibbert scoring! 🤣

I like Gray, but if we can get good money for him, that's good business.

If he stays, I'll see him as a good sub. If he goes I'll wish the lad well and I think he's served us well.

Jim, I'm with you all the way on Iwobi.

He may run around a lot and sometimes he does create chances but generally he does my head-in. Just his poor touches, bad decisions and flimsy tackling and his passes to the wrong shirts always seem to cost us.

He will be out of contract soon, so he clearly doesn't want to stay or he knows Dyche is looking for an upgrade.

With regards Iwobi and Gray, a well run club would either extend their contract or sell them when entering the final year. If we let them leave for nothing, it gives us no fee to replace them. I think both would have been good squad players for us, but not on £100k pw that Iwobi wanted.

The best thing for Everton is to sell them is now and find a replacement. If we can sell them both and get Gnonto, or a creative attacking midfielder, in with the bulk of the money I think that's good business.

Would love it if Iwobi goes. It would be a miracle if we get a fee for him but don't give him another contract. The money he's on means we couldn't give him away anyway.

If we stay up this year we unload Alli, Gbamin, Gomes and I think Keane too, at the end of this season. That probably frees up around £2 million a month in wages which gives us a bit of leeway for once.

Everton have an option on Gray, so he's not technically on a free at the end of the season.

He's either sold now or they trigger the option to avoid losing him on a free. Good business for once if you can get £12-15M for him.

I don't think Iwobi is like that, but despite being a technically gifted player, I would sell if you can get £15M for him now. Renewing a contract for big wages for a nearly player isn't good business.

Somebody said that the shirt number Gray had last season had been given to another player but does this mean he has not been included in the squad that is submitted to the League or is that not required until the window closes?

We need to take advantage of clubs whose owners are richer and more stupid than our own.

£30M plus for a prime aged, dynamic, experienced winger.

Is that what Udinese have just sold us?

Tony, @75, as every minute passes, and the joy of signing Beto, at 2 pm today, this is the best result for Everton.

It's key in Iwobi's possible transfer.

Now's the time and if £30M can be brought in for Iwobi & Gray, then this transfer window will go down in history as possibly Everton's “Best Ever”, all considered.

UTFTs!

Sam, @59, good perspective, agreed, it's gonna be an interesting few days.

Regards, Harrison, what's your perspective on this season, and next, in view of any scope for a full sale to Everton?

I think, but It remains to be seen, he could be a good player for Everton?

UTFTs!

Paul, I like Harrison and think he should do well for us this season but long term I guess it depends on what money Leeds expect for him.

By this time next year he will be almost 28 and personally I don't like to see us spending over £8/9M on players in their late 20s who have no resale value (that's partly how we got into this financial mess) as there are usually younger players who can offer similar output but also grow in value.