Photo credit: AFP.

Leicester have signed promising winger Demarai Gray from Birmingham for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club announced on Monday.

England under-20 international Gray, 19, agreed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Foxes after emerging as one of the brightest young talents in the Championship.

Claudio Ranieri’s side have climbed to second in the top-flight table, just two points behind leaders Arsenal, after a superb run in the first half of the season.

Ranieri is keen to maintain Leicester’s momentum by adding depth to his squad and Gray fits the bill after catching the Italian’s eye with a string of fine performances in the second tier since making his Birmingham debut aged just 17.

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“It’s been my dream to play in the Premier League since I started playing football so I’m very happy to join the club,” Gray told Leicester’s website.

“It’s a great club. The facilities are great and for a player like me it’s an ideal place for me to improve.

“Meeting all the staff here, it seems like a nice family place, so I think that’s perfect for me.

“You can see how well the team has been doing this year and I watch a lot of football so I can see that the way Leicester City play suits my style.

“I only hear good things about Leicester and I’m looking forward to starting.”

Gray’s signing came just hours after Leicester confirmed star striker Jamie Vardy is set to undergo a minor groin operation.

The 28-year-old, the joint-leading scorer in the Premier League, requires surgery to repair a long-standing problem but he is only expected to miss one match.

The procedure will rule Vardy out of the FA Cup clash at Tottenham on Sunday, a game he would likely have been rested for anyway.

The England international should be fit again when the Foxes return to White Hart Lane in the Premier League three days later.