Why Newcastle United must retain Dwight Gayle

Newcastle United have had a pretty decent start to the Premier League season. After all the pre-season drama involving former manager Rafael Benitez, Steve Bruce was finally appointed as the head coach.

Not many expected Newcastle United to put up a fight but after 14 games, they have racked up 4 wins and 4 draws. They even came out victorious against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. They shared the spoils against defending champions Manchester City too.

They had a busy summer, even though they lost two of their main men in Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon. With that in mind, Bruce certainly had his task cut out. After signing Hoffenheim striker Joelinton for a club-record transfer fee, they managed to get hold of former Nice forward Allan Saint-Maximin and Andy Carroll. They also added the services of Jetro Willems on the final day.

However, another forward who made a comeback to the club is Dwight Gayle. Having spent the previous season on loan at West Bromwich Albion, the striker was brought back by Steve Bruce.

The 29-year-old scored 23 goals for the Baggies last season, helping them reach the play-offs. Unfortunately, the striker has been frozen out of the team.

As per a report from The Sun, West Brom are hoping to re-sign Dwight Gayle in the January transfer window.

Gayle is a very versatile player and is capable of taking up different positions. With 47 goals in his last two Championship seasons (60 starts and 12 sub appearances), he has proven to be a natural finisher. But the striker is facing a battle for regular playing time at St. James Park this term.

Newcastle, on the other hand, have managed to score only 13 goals in the league, only ahead of Watford. They tend to rely too much on Joelinton and with Andy Carroll being injury-prone, Dwight Gayle would be a useful backup option.

Verdict

A proven marksman in the Championship, Gayle’s poacher-like instincts usually work wonders. In addition, he is prolific inside the box in the second tier.

Newcastle lost their top two goal scorers in the summer transfer window and would be foolish to sell Gayle. A squad that appears to lack goals shouldn’t sell a natural goal-scorer.