Lille have launched a loan bid to sign Demarai Gray.
That’s according to L’Equipe, who have reported that the French club are eager to bring the Everton winger in in a surprise transfer deadline day move.
Gray has been repeatedly linked with a move away from Goodison Park this summer and is yet to make a senior appearance for the club this season as he looks to force his exit.
The ‘unbelievable’ Jamaica international joined the Toffees for only £1.7 million two years ago and netted nine goals in the Premier League.
With only a year left on his contract, Gray has attracted interest from the likes of Fulham, Crystal Palace and Saudi Arabia in recent months.
The winger was previously on the verge of joining Al Shabab after reaching a verbal agreement with the club, though Gray could now be set to stay in Europe.
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Lille are eager to sign Gray on deadline day, but won’t be willing to pay the hefty fee that Everton demand. Rather than meeting their valuation of over £10 million, the Ligue 1 outfit only want to bring Gray in temporarily.
L’Equipe have claimed that their offer is a ‘paid loan’, though it is unclear whether that will include a loan fee or they will be contributing a large chunk of his wages.
Everton won’t benefit from Gray joining Lille on loan
It would be very surprising to see the Toffees sanction a loan exit for Demarai Gray, who is thought to rake in around £25,000-a-week on Merseyside.
Sean Dyche’s side were eager to make over five times the amount that they paid for the 27-year-old this summer and won’t really benefit at all from seeing him return to the club next summer.
While Gray has the option to extend his contract by a further year, the attacker could still leave for free at the end of the season and Everton will want to take advantage of selling him for a profit before tonight’s deadline.