Report: Stoke City want Watford striker Andre Gray in £14m deal

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Stoke City are reportedly eyeing a proven Championship striker in Andre Gray, who struggled in the Premier League with Watford.

Stoke City are obviously trying to ensure their return to the Championship is a short one.

Because the Potters have shown plenty of ambition since being relegated from the Premier League, replacing Paul Lambert with Gary Rowett and targeting a number of players with an excellent track record in England’s second tier.

One of those is Andre Gray.

According to the Sun (July 6, page 53), Stoke are plotting a £14 million bid for the Watford striker. It is understood that Rowett is a big fan of the speedy front man and could attempt to make him his marquee signing at the Potters.

Gray has not found goals easy to come by in the Premier League, netting just 14 times in 63 games for Burnley and Watford. But he was far more prolific in the Championship, notching 16 goals in his only season for Brentford in 2014/15 before firing Burnley to promotion a year later.

Gray won the Championship’s Golden Boot that season with 25 strikes, not to mention the league’s Player of the Year award.

It remains to be seen whether Watford would be willing to sell the former Luton Town man for a £3.5 million loss, however, one year after signing him from Burnley for a club-record £18.5 million.

Gray is the second Premier League forward to be linked with Stoke this week, on the back of reports in the Telegraph claiming they are willing to pay £12 million for Wolves’ Benik Afobe.