Reports link Leeds with move for Newcastle United’s Dwight Gayle, despite initial denial

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Leeds United are being linked with a move for Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle.

According to the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph, Leeds United are pursuing a deal for Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle ahead of the transfer deadline.

The Whites may have seen star striker Chris Wood leave for Burnley last week after a 30-goal campaign last season, but they have moved quickly to bring in two new strikers.

Jay-Roy Grot arrived from NEC Nijmegen last week before Leeds wrapped up the signing of Hamburg striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga on Tuesday, with the German signing a season-long loan deal.

Neither of those new signings have any experience in English football though, and with less than 48 hours to go until the transfer window slams shut, Leeds could yet land a striker who excelled in the Championship last season.

The Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph all report that Leeds are interested in signing Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle, who could be allowed to leave for a fee of around £15million to £18million – the fee Leeds received for Wood.

Gayle, 27, turned out for the likes of Dagenham & Redbridge, Peterborough United and Crystal Palace before signing for Newcastle United last summer, and he fired the Magpies back to the Premier League with 23 goals in just 32 Championship appearances.

There are some who believe that Gayle is a player who may be too good for the Championship but not good enough for the Premier League, and that may well be the view of Magpies boss Rafael Benitez, who could cash in on Gayle before the deadline.

A diminutive striker with great movement and finishing skills, Gayle is a classic poacher who could work well alongside the burly Lasogga, but whilst the national newspaper believe Leeds are keen on Gayle, the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Lee Sobot tweeted on Tuesday that Leeds aren’t in fact pursuing his signature.

With that initial denial and the conflicting reports in mind, Gayle may be a name for Leeds fans to keep eye on as we approach the transfer deadline, but the fee involved could be simply too much for the Whites to fork out.