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Birmingham City are in advanced talks to sign Demarai Gray from Saudi club Al-Ettifaq, talkSPORT understands.
Gray would move to the Blues on a free transfer, with the Saudi Pro League side retaining a sell-on clause between 25 to 30 per cent.
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With Jamaica’s exit from the CONCACAF Gold Cup confirmed, the path is clear for Gray’s future to be confirmed sooner than later.
The Reggae Boyz were dumped out following a 4-1 loss to Panama that left them third in Group C.
Although Jamaica finished equal on points with Guatemala, Steve McClaren’s side had a goal difference of -3 compared to Guatemala’s +1.
Should the move eventuate, it would herald the return of Gray to the club where he began his career.
The 28-year-old joined Birmingham’s academy in 2006 before he made his senior debut for the club in October 2013 at age 17.
Gray played 78 games for the Blues, netting eight goals, before being acquired by Leicester City in January 2016 for an estimated £3.7 million.
Just four months after signing, Gray became part of the legendary Foxes side that overcame 5000/1 odds to win their maiden Premier League title.
During his time with Leicester, Gray delivered 13 goals and 14 assists in 169 matches across all competitions, before making a move to Bayer Leverkusen in January 2021.
However, the Jamaica international’s stint in the Bundesliga lasted just six months as he joined Everton in July.
Gray helped preserve Everton’s top-flight status in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons with a total of 14 goal contributions from 67 league fixtures.
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He departed the Toffees in September 2023 for Al-Ettifaq, who appointed Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard shortly before Gray’s arrival.
However, Gray struggled to make his mark in Saudi Arabia and has just four goals and five assists in 50 appearances for the club.
The stint also did not go to plan for Gerrard, as he departed Al-Ettifaq by mutual consent in January.
Gerrard was one of the top-earning managers globally, leaving behind a significant £15 million-a-year contract after signing an extension last January.
He departed having won just 19 of his 55 matches in charge.
As for Gray, a move back to Birmingham would reunite him with Blues boss Chris Davies.
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Davies worked as an assistant to Brendan Rodgers during the Northern Irishman’s stint at Leicester, which overlapped with Gray’s time at the club as a player.
The 40-year-old will lead the Blues in the Championship as they look to maintain the momentum generated by their record-breaking season.
Birmingham became the first team to get promoted from League One with six games remaining.
They also finished the 2024/25 campaign with 111 points, the highest-ever tally in a single EFL season.
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