Demarai Gray, like Jordan Henderson and others before him, has attempted to rationalize joining a team in mega-rich Saudi Arabia.
The Jamaica international joined Al-Ettifaq last week in a £10 million deal [Sky Sports], joining Henderson to play under another former Liverpool star, Steven Gerrard.
Gray’s days at Goodison Park appeared to be numbered after he failed to make any of Sean Dyche’s squads for the first five games of the season, although this was later attributed to the player supposedly refusing to practice.
That was in response to the former Leicester City player resorting to social media to criticize Dyche, as the transfer drama became increasingly tangled near the finish.
Gray’s decision to join a Saudi Pro League club was clearly motivated by financial considerations. Many European organizations were no doubt keeping a close eye on his status because he was available for a seven-figure sum in terms of upfront payment.
Nobody knew how excited Gray was to join the intriguing new initiative taking place in the Middle East.
Gray told the Jamaica Gleaner after scoring for Jamaica in their 1-0 win against Honduras on September 9: “I think it was time for me to move on.
Speaking with the manager there, I expressed my desire for a fresh challenge, opportunity, and the feel of something completely different.
The Saudi league is currently generating a lot of buzz. It’s quite large, and many players will be present.
The words echo what England player Henderson said in an interview with The Athletic on September 5, when he flatly refused to acknowledge that money had any role in his choice to leave Anfield.
“This opportunity with Stevie (Gerrard) in a totally different league and totally different culture was something completely different, that maybe it would excite us in terms of the project,” said Henderson.
Gray can now start a new chapter in his career 4,000 miles away, and Everton may be happy enough to have received £10 million for him.
It is just incorrect to imply that anything other than a massive payoff was the driving force behind the choice.
