Is Newcastle United’s Fulham-linked striker Dwight Gayle facing make-or-break four months?

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Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez does not appear to think Dwight Gayle, a target for Fulham, can cut it in the Premier League.

Dwight Gayle may have been comfortably Newcastle United’s top scorer last season, hitting 23 to inspire them to the Championship title, but that did not mean he was guaranteed to play a major role post-promotion.

According to The Guardian, Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez was willing to listen to offers for the £18 million-rated forward in the transfer window, though the club’s failure to sign a replacement means Gayle will be at St James’ Park until January at least.

After that, however, remains to be seen. Because The Mirror (4^th September, page 46) reports that Championship promotion hopefuls Fulham will make another approach in the mid-season window after missing out in January.

The report suggests that, if Arsenal’s Lucas Perez had moved to the North East rather than returned to Deportivo, Gayle would have been on his way to Craven Cottage.

Last chance saloon?

Therefore, Gayle may be facing the most important four months of his career – and possibly his final chance to prove to Benitez that he can cut it in the Premier League.

There’s no doubting Gayle’s pedigree in the Championship but his goalscoring record in the top flight pales into comparison. He scored just 15 goals in 64 appearances for Crystal Palace across three seasons.

And he’s yet to trouble the scoreboard in his two starts in 2017/18, being taken off after 76 and 52 minutes in defeats to Tottenham and Huddersfield before Newcastle scored three without him in a comfortable win against West Ham.

Alongside the transfer links back to the Championship, it already feels as if Gayle has lost the trust of Benitez and his ineffectual showings so far this season will have done little to convince the Spaniard that he is worthy of a role in Newcastle’s Premier League plans.

However, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s four-match ban gives him a chance – and it is one Gayle must take as he might not get many more.