Thursday marked the closing of the transfer window in Saudi Arabia, yet clubs in the country continue their active pursuit of talent. Today, several noteworthy transfers from Europe to Saudi Arabia were finalized, with Demarai Gray being the standout addition.
In a significant move, Demarai Gray officially transferred from Everton to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, with the deal valued at 9.3 million euros. Gray, who holds both English and Jamaican citizenship, had been with Everton since the summer of 2021, following his tenure at Bayer Leverkusen. Prior to that, he had donned the Leicester City jersey, contributing to their Premier League triumph in 2016. Gray’s football journey began in Birmingham, his hometown and the namesake of his childhood club. Al-Ettifaq shared an intriguing video on Twitter, simply captioned: “Game over.” Gray has committed to a four-year contract with his new club, extending until the summer of 2027.
Additionally, Nicolae Stanciu, the captain of the Romanian national team, completed a move from Wuhan Three Towns to Damac for a fee of two and a half million euros. Notably, this is not Stanciu’s first venture in Saudi Arabia, as he previously represented Al-Ahli from January 2019 to July of the same year. Throughout his career, Stanciu has showcased his talents at various clubs, including Unirea, Alba Iulija, Vaslui, Steaua, Anderlecht, Sparta Prague, and Slavia Prague. Jorge Djaniny Tavares Semedo, affectionately known as Djaniny, joined Al-Fateh alongside Slaven Bilić, transferring from Trabzonspor to bolster the team’s attacking options.
As today marks the final day of the transfer window in Saudi Arabia, football enthusiasts eagerly await any last-minute surprises. It’s worth noting that the influx of football stars to Saudi Arabia commenced with Cristiano Ronaldo’s move during the winter, and this summer has seen the likes of Mane, Kante, Neymar, Benzema, Brozovic, Henderson, Mitrovic, and many others follow suit in making the move to this thriving football nation.
