How much money Demarai Gray earns at Birmingham City compared to what he did in Saudi | OneFootball

The winger made a stunning return to his hometown club this summer

Demarai Gray's return to Birmingham City in the recently-closed summer transfer window was one of many eye-catching pieces of business associated with the West Midlands outfit.

After breaking several records during a single campaign down in League One, such as the all-time EFL points record of 111, Blues looked to immediately make several statements upon their return to the Championship.

This is, largely, down to the lofty short-term and future ambitions continuously publicised by American ownership group, Knighthead, who have made it their target to return the club to the Premier League as swiftly as possible before becoming one of the major players in the entirety of the English game.

In truth, it's a far cry from the club Gray progressed through, eventually being handed his professional and Birmingham debut under the management of Lee Clark, who oversaw matters during an extremely uncertain and dark period for the club before being replaced by Gary Rowett.

The respective trajectories of both the 29-year-old and his boyhood club have been well-documented over time, with Gray going on to become a Premier League regular for Leicester City and Everton, as well as continental and worldwide moves to both Bayer Leverkusen and Saudi Pro League outfit, Al-Ettifaq.

The money involved in Saudi is a major talking point at present, with several global superstars now plying their trade in the Middle East, as well as English players such as Ivan Toney, Chris Smalling and the recently-transferred Josh Brownhill.

With that being said, FLW has looked at what Gray's salary currently is at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park compared to his time in Saudi.

Demarai Gray earned a career-high salary whilst playing for Al-Ettifaq

Previously, the winger had earned up to as much as £55,000 in the English game, which came during his spell at Leicester as the Foxes became a brief force in the Premier League after being crowned champions just months after his £3.7m move across the Midlands.

After an underwhelming stint on Merseyside with Everton, Gray moved to Al-Ettifaq, managed by ex-Aston Villa boss, Steven Gerrard, for a reported £10m on a four-year contract.

According to Capology - a site which ESTIMATES player earnings - he would take home a weekly salary of £77,928 (€90,385),which equates to a season-long sum of £4,052,243.

It is also ESTIMATED, as a result, that only three players earned greater sums during his final season with the club, in the form of Karl Toko Ekambi, Georginio Wijnaldum and Seko Fofana.

In total, Gray made 50 appearances for Al-Ettifaq, scoring four times and registering five assists before opting to return to Blues in a reported free transfer, although his former employers are believed to have inserted a 20 percent sell-on clause into the deal.

Demarai Gray's current wage following Birmingham City return

After returning to the club following nine-and-a-half years away, it isn't perhaps a surprise that, regardless of Blues' financial power under Knighthead, Gray is earning a lesser ESTIMATED wage sum compared to his spell in the Middle East.

It is said that the winger, whose ability and experience has made an immediate impact on Chris Davies' side, now collects a weekly wage of £30,000 per week, which translates to a season-worth total of £1,560,000.

As a result, he is the second-highest earner currently on the Birmingham payroll, with only Kyogo Furuhashi taking home a bigger wage packet of £35,000 per week.

However, it is clear that money isn't at the forefront of Gray's mind after returning to the club, with the 27-time Jamaica international fully set on helping Blues end their long spell away from the Premier League.