Stoke reportedly want Dwight Gayle and if Newcastle can get £10m for the striker then the decision should be a no-brainer.
Stoke City are already planning for life in the Championship and have started by targeting Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle, according to the Daily Mail.
The Magpies want to recoup the £10m they paid Crystal Palace for Gayle in the summer of 2016 if they are to allow the 27-year-old to leave.
Sports Illustrated also adds that manager Rafa Benitez would want to have found a replacement for the Englishman before selling him, with Aleksandar Mitrovic also expected to depart and Joselu having failed to impress.
Why wait?
Benitez of course shouldn’t be reckless in allowing players to exit St James’ Park before lining up who will replace them, but this is a deal that would seem to suit all involved.
Gayle is clearly not good enough to cut it in the Premier League, scoring just five goals in 33 matches this season and Newcastle need more potency in attack to progress.
However, at Championship level – where Stoke will be playing next term following their relegation – the former Palace man is prolific, netting 23 times in 32 league outings when the Toon were promoted from the division in 2016/17.
For the Tynesiders to also make their money back and help form a significant chunk of what will need to be paid to buy an improvement is a bonus that should make this deal a no-brainer.
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