Leicester Reject Record Bournemouth Bid for England Under-21 Winger Demarai Gray

Leicester City have reportedly rejected a sizeable bid from Bournemouth for England Under-21 winger Demarai Gray, a player whose frustration over a lack of playing time has seen him linked with a Foxes exit all summer.

According to Sky Sports, Bournemouth put forward a £25m offer, a figure that would have made Gray their new record signing, only to see the approach rebuffed by the former champions.

Signed from Birmingham in January 2016, Gray played 30 times in the Premier League last season but was often a substitute. He hasn't started any of Leicester's three league games so far in 2017/18, but has appeared from the bench late on in each of them.

Tottenham have also been linked with the 21-year-old speedster.

Gray's 'play me or lose me' approach may have come into Leicester's consideration in rejecting Bournemouth's bid.

Riyad Mahrez is expected to leave the club on deadline day after the Algerian Football Federation revealed he had been granted permission to temporarily leave the national team base in order to 'finalise' a transfer to an unspecified new club.

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With Mahrez potentially on the way out, there may now be a place for Gray in the Leicester side.