Demarai Gray completes Bayer Leverkusen switch

Leicester City midfielder Demarai Gray has completed a transfer to Bayer Leverkusen for around £2m to keep him  with the Bundesliga club until June 2022.

The midfielder had fallen out of favour under manager Brendan Rodgers and was set to leave the Foxes with his deal at the club about to expire in the summer.

Crystal Palace and Marseille were also believed to be interested in signing Gray, with Palace boss Roy Hodgson admitting on Friday he was “aware” of his situation.

Leverkusen believe Gray could make an impact in the Bundesliga as other young English players have done, such as Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham, who have starred for Borussia Dortmund since their moves to the German top flight.

“It’s a great opportunity to gain new experience at a very interesting foreign club,” Gray told Leverkusen’s website.

“When the Bundesliga was the first big league to play again after the coronavirus break last year, the whole world looked over here. I like German football.

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“I’ve seen Bayer 04 attack, move forward aggressively and technically, and dictate the game through possession. I fit in well here. I can and would like to develop further here and be successful with this attractive team.”

The former Birmingham player has scored 13 goals in 169 appearances since joining Leicester for £3.5m in January 2016. Gray helped the Foxes win the Premier League in 2016 under Claudio Ranieri.