The ‘staggering’ wage Demarai Gray currently earns at Al-Ettifaq as Birmingham City learn asking price

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EFL Analysis can now reveal what it would cost Birmingham City to sign Al-Ettifaq winger Demarai Gray this summer after emerging as potential suitors.

Birmingham smashed the League One points record in 2024/25 and are now aiming for successive promotions.

The Blues are planning an ‘aggressive’ transfer window, which could see Tom Wagner break the club’s transfer record once more.

Wagner thinks Birmingham can win promotion in 2025/26, and their hopes of achieving that dream are being matched by ambition in the transfer window.

Birmingham want to sign £10m-rated Kwame Poku to improve their quality in forward areas, while former winger Demarai Gray has emerged as a surprise option.

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Demarai Gray is available for £6 million but his wage is ‘staggering’

Premier League newcomers Sunderland and Birmingham have been linked with a move for Gray, who desires a return to English football after spending two seasons at Al-Ettifaq.

Gray was once on the books of the Blues as a youngster and became the youngest-ever player to score a hat-trick for the club, aged just 18 against Bolton Wanderers in 2014.

Now, over 10 years later, the Englishman could return to the club where he made a name for himself in the EFL, though the chances of that happening are incredibly slim.

As per information from our Chief Football Correspondent, Graeme Bailey, EFL Analysis understands that Al-Ettifaq want around £6 million for the pacey winger, but he also earns an eye-watering £200,000-per-week, ruling out any potential move to the Championship.

“I do believe he is available for £6m or around that ballpark,” Bailey said. “His price has come down, but his wages are massive. We’re talking around £200k per week. It’s staggering.

“So, I don’t know whether he’d be willing to come back to the Championship. Obviously, we know Birmingham are not going to be paying him even a quarter of that.

“I’m told the people who took him to Saudi were surprised to hear that he might be coming back, but could they do a loan? I think that judging by the finances, that would be the only way to do it.

“But it looks, from what we understand about the finances, it looks very unlikely unless he really wants out and gets paid off and leaves. If he’s unhappy there, maybe, but we don’t know for sure how he feels.”

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Gray’s disastrous time at Al-Ettifaq in numbers

Gray’s desire to return to England, and preferably the Premier League, has surfaced after two incredibly difficult campaigns in Saudi Arabia.

The former Leicester man has produced nine goal involvements in 50 matches, and recorded just one assist during a terrible 2024/25 season.

On the evidence of his current form, Birmingham would be dodging a bullet by not signing Gray, but luckily, his mammoth wages have already made that decision for them.