Why Tottenham should avoid signing Demarai Gray from Leicester City

According to a report from the Express, Tottenham are monitoring Leicester City winger Demarai Gray ahead of a potential January swoop.

After drawing blanks in the previous two transfer windows, Mauricio Pochettino splashed top dollar on new signings this summer.

The likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Ryan Sessegnon and Jack Clarke were signed over the summer, although the latter returned to Leeds United on a season-long loan.

Despite spending heavily, Spurs still have plenty of gaps to plug in their squad. A new right-back continues to be a priority after the departure of Kieran Trippier but Pochettino might as well start looking for a new centre-back, with Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen both out of contract at the end of the season.

Thus, it makes complete sense for Pochettino to look forward to the January transfer window. But do Tottenham need Demarai Gray at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium? Truth be told, Spurs should stay away from the Leicester winger.

Despite securing a regular starting place under both Claude Puel and Brendan Rodgers, Demarai Gray, 23, hasn’t quite reached the levels Foxes fans would have expected when he signed from Birmingham in January 2016.

He has only produced eight goals and five assists from his last 83 appearances for Leicester, a stat which doesn’t read well at all.

Gray may be blessed with plenty of pace, power and dribbling skills, as well as potential, but he has been extremely inconsistent for the Foxes. His time at the King Power Stadium hasn’t been all bad.

For example, the 23-year-old assisted Jamie Vardy’s second goal against Sunderland that secured a vital three points, as the Foxes won their first Premier League trophy in the 2015/16 season.

He scored the goal at Cardiff City stadium in Leicester’s first game after the tragic death of Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

There have been a lot of ups and downs for Gray at Leicester. However, with the Englishman having made over 100 Premier League appearances at a tender age of 23, we may have seen enough of the nippy wide-man to suggest that this is the best he will ever be.

Read more Tottenham news, click here – Tottenham latest news

There is no doubting Gray is talented, exciting and is capable of producing moments of magic on the pitch but he’s struggling to break into Rodgers’ XI this season.

In simple terms, he is not good enough to take Tottenham to a different level. Plus, Pochettino has a wide range of attackers at his disposal, so splashing the cash on Gray doesn’t appear sensible.

Verdict

Gray is just 23 and certainly has his best years ahead of him. Whether he develops into a truly elite winger in the future remains to be seen but Spurs should not pursue the under-21 England international’s signature.