Of all the strange decisions Newcastle United have made in recent years, handing Dwight Gayle a new three-year deal last summer feels like one of the oddest.
After all, it’s not as if the veteran goal-poacher has been a key part of Newcastle’s plans for some time now.
He started just four Premier League games in the whole of last season. And, having been on the pitch for a grand total of 21 minutes this term, it seems unlikely that Gayle will even come close to matching his 2020/21 tally, unless Callum Wilson’s injury curse strikes again.
At the age of 32, there is a feeling that Gayle is wasting his career on the St James’ Park bench.
He hasn’t kicked a ball in anger since Eddie Howe succeeded Steve Bruce either. That is despite the fact that Howe suggested Gayle may have had a part to play during Tuesday night’s drab 1-1 draw with relegation rivals Norwich City.
The January transfer window, then, feels like the perfect time for both parties to shake hands and go their separate ways.
Especially given that Newcastle’s new Saudi Arabian owners are expected to open the door to players far more high-profile than the former Peterborough United man.
Will Newcastle sell Dwight Gayle in January?
According to The Telegraph, Championship duo Nottingham Forest and West Brom are both interested.
And while links with Forest will raise a few eyebrows – manager Steve Cooper and CEO Dane Murray prefer to work with young, up-and-coming players than battle-hardened veterans like Gayle – West Brom’s interest will come as no surprise at all.
The Baggies have failed to score in each of their last three Championship games, ramping up the pressure on manager Valerien Ismael.
And if Gayle could emulate the form of his previous Hawthorns spell – he scored 23 league goals for West Brom in 2018/19 – his arrival would give Albion’s promotion prospects a massive boost.
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