Demarai Gray has made an immediate impact at Bayer Leverkusen after Leeds United and Crystal Palace missed out on the former Leicester City winger, as reported by Kicker.
Just three years after the Foxes turned down a £25 million bid from Bournemouth, a Premier League-winning winger was on his way to Germany for as little as £2 million.
Of course, this was largely down to the fact Gray’s contract at the King Power was due to expire in the summer.
But a vastly reduced price tag also reflected how far the England U21 international had fallen down the pecking order under Brendan Rodgers.
Remarkably, Gray has already played almost as many minutes of league football at Leverkusen (16) as he did during his final four months in the Midlands (18).
The 24-year-old has wasted little time in making his mark at the Bay Arena too, scoring with a wicked right-foot shot after coming off the bench during Saturday’s 5-2 thrashing of Stuttgart.
“(The goal) gives him confidence,” says Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes.
“We’re counting on him to make the most of his great potential.
“You notice with (Gray) he has played many Premier League games and he already has experience. He has a good shot, good speed, good technique.
“He brings a lot of things.”
According to The Sun (27 January, page 51), Gray rejected moves to Crystal Palace and Southampton last month. Leeds also showed an interest early in the January transfer window (Mirror, 05/01, page 47).
But early evidence suggests Leverkusen, a club renowned for its breakneck wing play and ability to eke every ounce of potential out of prodigious attackers, may be the ideal place for Gray to add consistency to his undoubted quality.
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