According to reports from The Liverpool Echo this morning, Liverpool could launch a ‘cut price swoop’ for Birmingham City’s highly-rated youngster Demarai Gray in January.
What’s the word?
The Liverpool Echo report that the Reds could make a budgeted bid for Demarai Gray, widely regarded as one of English football’s most exciting prospects and no stranger to the Premier League’s rumour columns, when the transfer market reopens in January.
Indeed, he’s attracted interest from England’s top clubs and yonder over the last 18 months but could leave St Andrews for a modest £3.5million in the coming transfer window due a clause in the three-year contract he signed in July. Alternatively, suitors could wait until next summer – when his buyout drops to an even more modest £3million.
How good is he?
Gray’s been dubbed the ‘Raheem Sterling of the Championship’ before, which is an incredibly fitting description. Like the former Anfield star, the 19 year-old is a versatile attacker famed for his prodigious dribbling ability, movement and pace, but is yet to translate it consistently into goals.
That being said, seven in 55 league appearances is hardly a poor return for a teenager who’s often had to settle for outings from the bench in his short career. His statistics for the current campaign, meanwhile, are a respectable 1.4 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 1.1 successful dribbles and 1 created chances per match, helping Birmingham reach seventh in the table with a game in hand.
The Brummie forward has also made significant headway within the England fold, accumulating three goals and twelve caps for the U18s, U19s and U20s combined, and won the Football League’s Young Player of the Month award last December after netting a first-half hat-trick against Reading. Impressive stuff.
Who else is interested?
Gray’s potential suitors span the continent, or at very least to the Bundesliga. Indeed, scouts from German giants Bayern Munich reportedly watched the youngster in action as the Junior Lions recorded a 1-0 win over Czech Republic earlier this month. They were accompanied by representatives from Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City, who have all been linked with Gray for some time.
Likewise, Premier League new boys Bournemouth saw a £5million bid rejected in January, prior to their promotion and the English prodigy’s new contract, whilst Newcastle United and Tottenham were mooted as among the interested parties by The Birmingham Mail in December.
Is a Premier League move inevitable then?
In the long-run, Gray seems destined to make it to the top flight. Rumours of a move in January, however, seem a little premature.
After all, City’s Championship campaign has started incredibly well with Gary Rowett at the helm and according to The Birmingham Mail, Gray recently informed his gaffer that he’d prefer to continue his development with regular first team football rather than a bit-part role in the Premier League.
Birmingham are clearly willing to let the winger decide his own fate, hence the miserly release clause inserted into his last contract. But that in itself insinuates their confidence in him sticking around for another season or two.
How reliable is the story?
Well, Liverpool and Manchester City’s interest appears to be genuine, having both been linked with Gray for some time. The Bayern Munich rumour is a little more speculative, however; how can you really know who a scout is running the rule over at a youth international game involving at least 22 players – many of which will be relatively unknown to budding journos.
The choice of diction in the Liverpool Echo article, meanwhile, doesn’t exactly bode great confidence. Statements like ‘could be set to’ suggest a writer caught between not committing himself to pure speculation but trying to convince readers that he’s in the know – something I know plenty about.
Likewise, Liverpool’s interest is only really discussed in the opening sentence; the rest of the piece focus on Gray’s much-heralded potential and his contract situation. So overall, there’s not much really suggesting the Reds will target the Birmingham starlet when the transfer window opens in the new year.
But £3.5million is a fantastic price for a home-grown product in the context of the modern market; City paid three times that amount for Fulham’s Patrick Roberts during the summer; and the revelation of the release clause is certainly an interesting piece of information. Liverpool and City fans shouldn’t get too excited, but should watch this space for further developments.
Also in the news this week:
Chelsea to beat Spurs to 6 foot 2 battering ram with £20m bid
Liverpool line up January swoop for Primeira Liga prodigy
Man United disappoint six clubs by holding onto youngster
Record-breaker set to sign terms with Arsenal
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Your report is factually incorrect. Demmi has just signed a new contract, his buy-out clause is substantially more than the figure your article quotes. In fact he’s said again today that he’s happy at St Andrews and has no plans to leave in the foreseeable future.
These figures are taken directly from The Liverpool Echo. I do stress throughout the article that Gray has signed a new contract and wants to stay at Birmingham City.