- Home
- Birmingham City
- Current Squad
- Adam Legzdins
- Jonathan Grounds
- Paul Robinson
- Ryan Shotton
- Maikel Kieftenbeld
- Robert Tesche
- Stephen Gleeson
- Clayton Donaldson
- Diego Fabbrini
- David Cotterill
- Rhoys Wiggins
- Che Adams
- Lukas Jutkiewicz
- Viv Solomon-Otabor
- Jacques Maghoma
- Greg Stewart
- Jonathan Spector
- David Davis
- Michael Morrison
- Tomasz Kuszczak
- Paul Caddis
- Development Squad
- Academy
- Ladies Team
- Sophie Baggaley
- Alex Windell
- Meaghan Sargeant
- Jess Carter
- Kerys Harrop
- Freda Ayisi
- Kirsty Linnett
- Bella Linden
- Andrine Hegerberg
- Abbey-Leigh Stringer
- Melissa Lawley
- Charlie Wellings
- Chloe Peplow
- Rebecca Lloyd
- Connie Schofield
- Emily Westwood
- Cheryl Edwards
- Corina Schröder
- Ashlee Brown
- Coral-Jade Haines
- Aoife Mannion
- Ann-Katrin Berger
- Out on Loan
- Former Players
- Boards and Advisors
- Appearance Data 2014/2015
- Current Squad
- Factfiles
- Series
- Sponsorship
- Website Info
- Social Media
- Contact Me
Gray Gossip Starts Again
It didn’t take much. Two goals in two games against Wolves and Blackburn Rovers has sent the rumour mill back into overdrive about where Demarai Gray is going to head this summer.
This weekend I’ve seen Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal all linked to Dimmi with the price being just £3mil – apparently due to the fact that he has just a year left on his deal. The Sun even went with the story that Liverpool have first option on Dimmi, and that they must be informed of any offers for the 18-year-old winger.
It’s all a bit bizarre isn’t it? Those of who have seen the young winger in action will know that between the rejection of £5mil from Bournemouth on transfer deadline day and now Dimmi had been struggling a little bit to deal with the weight of expectation. I think it’s only with the introduction of Diego Fabbrini to the lineup we’ve seen a bit more of the “old” Dimmi – the one that played without fear – and that was able to make an impact in the final third against teams.
I can’t quite work out if the stories have just emerged because someone has noticed he’s back in the goals – or, more likely, Dimmi’s agent is trying to get his client back in the press to engineer a move to a big club. The young lad has one year left on his deal – and has yet to sign the new deal he was offered in January – and so I think it would be natural for the agent to drum up some interest if only to go back to Blues and say Dimmi should get more money.
Without wanting to rain on what is clearly a talented young man’s parade, I don’t believe Dimmi is even close to being good enough currently for a top six side. While I’m sure that the potential is there, if a move did materialise to the Liverpools or Arsenals of this world, then I could see Dimmi playing for a development squad team, loaned out or just making up the numbers for a couple of years as his progress stultifies. While he’s at Blues he’s getting regular first team football and the opportunity to continue building his trade in a stable environment – something that I think is crucial for a young player to become a success.
There are lessons close to home about why a young player shouldn’t necessarily chase the coin. Young Foday Nabay left Blues for a more prestigious contract offering at Fulham – only to be at a point where he is now in and out of their under-18 side. Had he remained at Blues there is every indication that with the progress he was making he’d have made his first team debut by now – and there are rumours out there that young Nabay would like to come back to Blues if it were possible.
I think this summer is going to be a big one for Dimmi in that I think it could shape his footballing destiny. For his sake I hope that whatever he does, he is allowed to continue developing in the manner he has over the last 12 months – and it’s my hope that could be with Blues. Only time will tell.
Tags: Demarai Gray
24 Responses to “Gray Gossip Starts Again”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Jack Butland is another good example, a regular at Blues but just a bench warmer, at best, at Stoke. I fully expect Dimmi to move on in the summer, but if someone offered £3m I would politely tell them to go away and retain his services for next season. If he progresses well we could find the tribunal fee would be more than 2 packets of crisps and a Mars bar and we will have had his services for another year.
To be fair to Butland though, he didn’t push for a move away from Blues – it was out of his hands, Pannu sold him for a song!
No one forced Butland to sign with Stoke. The deal was agreed but he was the one who put pen to paper. Such a talented keeper its a shame he’s lost a couple of years development – oh well.
Possilby the best thing to happen if Dimmi did move on would be if we could get a clause that he is loaned back to us for a year or two, that way we get some cash, Dimmi gets regular footie and the buying club get their hands on a pretty good future prospect.
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Brian Murphy on his award last night, it’s amazing what that guy has done for Blues considering the personal tragedies he’s had in his life & I hope he manages to beat his current illness KRO Brian
I would prefer for Gray to sign a new long term contract. My reason is simple. At 18 he is a unique talent, so what will he be like at 21? He will be one of the best wingers in Britain.
If he declines to sign a new contract then we need to get the highest fee we can, plus a sell on clause and/or a seasons loan-back.
Having just knocked back 5 million for the kid you would hope that the club would be a bit more savvy than to accept 3 million on the basis that his contract has run down a bit more.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t – if he refuses to sign before the summer then Blues will have to sell, or face the very real prospect that he could leave St Andrews next June on a free. Personally I think the best for both parties would be a sell and loan back for 12 months deal, can’t see anyway we can realistically hold onto Dimmy if the big boys come knocking.
Considering his age, the fact that his contract is running down is meaningless. Even if he is out of contract, we still get a fee for him as he is under 23. My point being, the fee should be no less now than it was in january.
We should have taken the £5m. He is a good prospect but every player has a price and £5m is well over what he is worth in my view. A loan back deal has to be the best for all parties but I doubt we will get more than £3m this Summer and £1m next Jan and a derisory tribunal fee 2016 summer.
From what I’ve seen this season I would have took the £5million in January and brought fabbrini and teasche with it and been well happy so doesent bother me either way ! Kro
Think I will just wait and see what happens in HK before I bother about whos going and whos coming till we know what is available and the wages we can pay it’s all guess work and rumour
This is all down as to whether Dimmi wants to stay with Birmingham or not. If he does not sign his contract, and lets be honest, it doesn’t seem likely, then the club will have to sell. For his own sake, if he wants Premiership football, then a move to Bournemouth would be his best opportunity to play there and Blues can take the 5 Mill and run.
At the end of the day, only money matters anymore. So, I’d take a nice £6mill, plus a few add-ons and wish him good luck for the future. As long as the team benefits.
Are u seriously telling me his value has dropped by 2m in 4 months With the huge amounts of money the Premier league teams are getting I’d demand at least £5m which is chickenfeed to the big clubs but would allow us to rebuild the entire team. As for loaning him back I’d rather we played one of our own than develop someone elses player
I do not think it is a case of whether his value has dropped, it is clubs knowing his contract is up next year and know Blues will have to accept around 3 million or risk just a compensation fee. It maybe worth the risk rejecting these offers in the hope new owners or investors come in and offer Dimmi and others improved terms.
Who else would you offer better term to?
From Gray ‘ s perspective he may never get an offer from a big six club again. And whilst it’s unlikely that he’ll be in the first team there are players who have done a few years on loan and are now regulars (Joe Hart being an obvious example).
In terms of fee I think blues may have gambled that a bigger offer was going to come in. Bournemouth ‘ s offer reflected he was to help their promotion challenge.
This is ridiculous. The lad isn’t ready for a top Premiership side. If he went he stands no chance of getting in any of their first teams and he will just end up in their development squad or loaned out to one of our rivals in the Championship or to Scotland or one of the European leagues. Too many young talents have fallen by the wayside in this way and I just hope Dimmi doesn’t end up the same way. Wilfried Zaha is presently trying to resurrect a promising career back at Palace but he has wasted the last 12-18 months in my opinion. Demarai Gray needs to get in the gym, build up his upper body strength so he can resist being knocked off the ball so easily. He needs to continue to play first team football with us and concentrate on honing his skills which remain very raw despite all the hype. There is a lot of work to do before the boy is anywhere near the player he has the potential to be and offers of £3 million should be rejected out of hand despite the contractual circumstances.
It’s down to common sense/career v pound notes/bank balance. Very few choose the former these days.. they think a hefty wad makes them a top class player. You only have to look at young players at Prem clubs to see that. I have no sympathy for those rotting in Prem reserves.
All very true mate, but quite probably NOT the message he is being fed by his agent! Let’s hope he has the brains to look further than his agent’s short term cash aspirations….
Rotting in the reserves on mega money because they thought they were better than they were … Gray will struggle to make our team next season if we get new owners and new investment simple so why the hell he thinks he’s good enough for the premiership is beyond me .. Ime not saying he wants to leave and if he signs a new contract then great and were get on with it and he will fight for his place next … Troy Deeney showed is class on Saturday when coming over to the blues fans and throwing is boots into the crowd and applauding us and saying how proud he was to be a brummie .. He left young but knows is level and said he would love to come back , well if they get promoted and Watford don’t want him ide welcome him back with open arms !! Kro
I wonder if young players today care that much about the football, or if they come into the game for the right reasons. They see that the money buys them a lifestyle… cars, clothes, games and, especially, attracts the girls. How can football compete with those things?
Hmm…I remember him mocking and gesturing towards the Tilton after scorring the winner for Watford at Stans on the opening day of last season, and then cupping his hand to his ear in front of the Blues fans after repeating the trick at Vicarage Road.
Maybe he’s mums had a quiet word after getting some grief of the neighbours!
Dharmesh Sheth claiming that a deal has been done with Spurs on SSN this evening?!?! If Dimmi does leave, lets hope its to a club that pays his value and loans him back to us…much in the same way as Spurs’ acquisition of Dele Alli from MK Dons panned out. Great result for Blues tonight too…still fancy us for a top half finish which would be incredible work by GR! :) KRO