Demarai Gray poised to complete Bayer Leverkusen switch with Leicester City set to receive around £2.7m for the midfielder; 23-year-old has fallen out of favour under Brendan Rodgers and has six months left on his deal at the King Power Stadium
Monday 1 February 2021 12:25, UK
Leicester City midfielder Demarai Gray is close to completing a permanent move to Bayer Leverkusen.
According to Sky in Germany, the two clubs have already agreed a deal with Leicester set to earn around €3m (£2.7m) for the 24-year-old.
Gray has already agreed terms with the Bundesliga side and is expected to travel to Germany over the weekend to complete his transfer.
The midfielder has fallen out of favour under manager Brendan Rodgers and looks set to leave the Foxes with his deal at the club expiring in the summer.
Leicester are considering the possibility of a move for Watford midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah as they seek cover before the window closes on Monday night.
Dennis Praet is out for up to three months and Wilfred Ndidi will miss another week through injury - those absences have prompted Leicester to explore a number of possible midfield replacements on loan.
Hamza Choudhury's potential move to Newcastle United would be sanctioned if Leicester can make a midfield acquisition before the transfer deadline.
Crystal Palace and Marseille were also believed to be interested in signing Gray, with Palace boss Roy Hodgson admitting on Friday he was "aware" of his situation.
Leverkusen believe Gray could make an impact in the Bundesliga as other young English players have done, such as Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham, who have starred for Borussia Dortmund since their moves to the German top flight.
The former Birmingham player has scored 13 goals in 169 appearances since joining Leicester for £3.5m in January 2016. Gray helped the Foxes win the Premier League in 2016 under Claudio Ranieri.
Gray would become Bayer Leverkusen's third signing from the UK in January after they secured Timothy Fosu-Mensah from Manchester United and Jeremie Frimpong from Celtic.
The Bundesliga club have also made contact with United over left-back Brandon Williams, but they face stiff competition from Premier League clubs such as Southampton and Newcastle.
The winter transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday, February 1, and Sky Sports will bring you all the drama as clubs scramble to get the final pieces of business over the line.
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