Southampton are interested in making a move for Leicester City winger Demarai Gray but they are prepared to wait until the summer to try and sign him on a free transfer, according to The Sun.
Gray is entering the final few months of his current £55,000-a-week deal at Leicester and he has become something of a bit-part player for the Foxes under Brendan Rodgers. The 24-year-old has made just one Premier League appearance so far this season and has reportedly indicated that he would be unwilling to sign any potential new deal offered to him by the club.
That means the winger is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs from overseas this month. There is interest from the likes of Benfica, Monaco and Marseille in the English attacker, despite the changing rules regarding the signing of players from Premier League clubs, per The Sun.
Southampton have been exploring the possibility of signing Gray from Leicester, but they are likely to wait until he is a free agent in the summer rather than pay a transfer fee for him this month, per The Sun.
Read Southampton verdict
Bringing in a player with Gray’s talent and potential on a free transfer in the summer would seem to be an excellent piece of business from Southampton. However, the 24-year-old might well be tempted to make a move abroad and sign a pre-contract agreement with a European club before the end of the month.
That means Southampton might potentially miss out on Gray if they don’t want to part with a fee for him during the winter window. Hasenhuttl’s side will be hopeful that the winger waits until the summer before deciding his future, when he may have multiple suitors from which to choose.
However, that would depend on Gray being patient in waiting for a chance to obtain regular game-time. A pre-contract agreement with another club in mainland Europe would leave him waiting but would provide him with clarity over his future. Southampton might therefore end up regretting not offering a small fee for him now to secure his signature.
