Al-Hilal set to hold talks to sign 26-year-old Premier League forward: Reports
Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal are reportedly set to hold talks with 26-year-old Premier League forward Demarai Gray, who plies his trade for Everton.
Gray has made 75 appearances for the Toffees since joining the club from Leicester City in 2021, scoring 12 goals and has provided six assists. He made 36 appearances for the Toffees last season, scoring six goals and providing one assist across competitions.
According to Sky Sports News, Al-Hilah are interested in signing Gray this summer. The left-winger could prove to be an effective signing for the club. The Riyadh-based team finished as the runner-up in the AFC Champions League last season. However, they could only manage a third-placed finish in the Saudi Pro League in 2022-23.
The club are looking to strengthen talent pool this season. They have already signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Premier League club Chelsea.
Several Premier League stars are heading to the Saudi Pro League
Saudi Pro League clubs keep racking up signing players from the Premier League this summer. Hakim Ziyech is set to join Al-Nassr and will partner Cristiano Ronaldo in their attack next season.
SPL Champions Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, have signed N'Golo Kante from Chelsea. Apart from Kante, they have also recruited Karim Benzema after he left Real Madrid on a free transfer. "'The Tigers" are forming a formidable team for next season.
Edouard Mendy is set to join Al-Ahli. Overall, the quality of the league is getting better.
Cristiano Ronaldo recently predicted that the SPL will end up being one of the top five leagues in the world. The Portuguese superstar, who is playing for Al-Nassr, said:
"I think the league is very good. But I think we have many many opportunities to still grow. I think the league is good, it's competitive, we have very good Arab players."
He added:
"The infrastructure, I think they need to improve. Even the referees, the VAR system, those should be a little bit quicker. Other small things they need to improve. In my opinion, if they continue to do it, the work, for the next five years, I think the Saudi League can be the fifth in the world."
The recent acquisition of such talented players shows that the Saudi Pro League is indeed getting better in terms of its quality.