Spurs have been given a boost in their long-term admiration of Demarai Gray, with the 23-year-old winger having barely featured under Brendan Rodgers this season and a move in January may yet materialise.
Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly (Football Insider) been encouraged by the young winger’s lack of minutes for the Foxes this season, which could pave a move for the attacker in January. Gray signed for Leicester from Birmingham in 2016 and has gone on to make 148 appearances; scoring 11 times.
The England Under-21 international is currently valued at £18 million, but Pochettino may look to get the winger at a cut-price considering his lack of appearances so far this season.
Interestingly, the report stats that there is intense competition for Maddison from the Premier League elite and the North London club fear his price will soon be beyond their reach. As well as stating that a deal for Gray would be much cheaper, as the attacker has yet to translate his immense promise into consistent matchwinning performances.
Mauricio Pochettino is an admirer of Gray and believes his dynamism and electric pace makes him a major asset.
TIF Tactics:
Gray has made just one start in the Premier League for Leicester this term so it is feasible that the youngster could seek a move away in January.
It’s unlikely he would be played out wide as Spurs signed Ryan Sessegnon in the summer who offers a very similar role to that of Gray and is also younger, so it would be a surprise to see Gray come in and move ahead of the former Fulham man in the pecking order. Left/right-wing is a position that Spurs are quite well-stocked in too, with the likes of Heung-Min Son, Lucas Moura, Ryan Sessegnon and Erik Lamela all capable of playing there.
Although, Spurs are clearly fearing the amount of money that would have to be spent to lure Maddison to North London. Gray has experience in an attacking midfield role, having featured there 12 times in his career, so he could end up replacing Eriksen if he ends up leaving, which could work out quite well for both parties.