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Tottenham and Liverpool have unsettled Leicester City star

By Rucker Haringey

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Demarai Gray of Leicester City in action during the Premier League match between Leicester City and AFC Bournemouth at The King Power Stadium on May 21, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Demarai Gray of Leicester City in action during the Premier League match between Leicester City and AFC Bournemouth at The King Power Stadium on May 21, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images) /
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Demarai Gray’s head has been turned by Tottenham and Liverpool

You can be quite certain that officials at Leicester City aren’t very pleased with Tottenham or Liverpool at the moment. The Premier League giants have done a terrific job of distracting Demarai Gray from his career with the Foxes.

Reports from England claim that Gray is seeking assurances from manager Craig Shakespeare about his role in the team next season. In particular, the young Englishman wants to secure Riyad Mahrez’s starting spot in the event of the Algerian’s summer departure.

If Gray doesn’t get the answers he wants, he seems quite willing to leave Leicester City for a larger club. Tottenham and Liverpool have both been linked with the talented winger this summer. Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp would both be more than happy to continue his development with their respective squads.

The real problem for Leicester is that they agreed to insert a relatively modest release clause in Gray’s contract when he joined the club last summer. Any club who wants to bring him in this summer can do so by activating his release clause of just over £22 million. In today’s transfer market that represents a terrific bargain.

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Gray must determine whether or not he’s willing to accept a limited role if he makes a change in clubs this summer. If his biggest issue at Leicester is his lack of a regular place in the starting XI, he needs to ask himself whether or not his situation will improve at Tottenham or Liverpool. It’s not as if he is prepared to enter either club’s starting XI immediately.

That’s why the smart money remains on Gray remaining at Leicester for at least one more season. If Mahrez leaves, Gray is in line to take over the lion’s share of his playing time. The Foxes may be the biggest club that are willing to give him a significant number of starts next season.

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If Shakespeare and company dally, he could easily join some other club as a super substitute though. He’s far from the finished article, but he could be a real live wire off the bench. Gray could be an immense boost to Tottenham or Arsenal’s quest for a Premier League title next year.

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