According to claims from The Athletic, as relayed by the Chronicle Live, Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle is likely to join Nottingham Forest when the transfer window reopens in January.
Leeds United are also in the hunt for the 29-year-old hitman to spearhead their surge for promotion in the Championship but a move to the City Ground seems more likely to materialize given that the striker’s wages could be a stumbling block for the West Yorkshire giants. (The Athletic h/t Chronicle Live)
The former Arsenal man has been linked repeatedly with a move back to the Championship this season (h/t Nottingham Post), with Leeds United and Nottingham Forest touted as the striker’s potential destinations, following his heroics on his loan spell at West Brom in the previous campaign.
Having previously played a key role to guide Newcastle United back to the Premier League with a tally of 23 goals during the Magpies’ 2016-17 promotion-winning season in the Championship, Gayle enhanced his reputation as a proven goalscorer in the second-tier with 24 goals in 41 appearances last season to propel the Baggies to the promotion playoffs.
However, after being ruled out for the first couple of months of the ongoing campaign due to an injury, Gayle’s return to action at St. James’ Park hasn’t been a happy one so far.
The 29-year-old has found his involvement restricted to just three substitute cameos off the bench in the Premier League, with Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron clearly being Steve Bruce’s preferred attacking options.
Given his struggles in nailing down a regular starting role in the Premier League and with his contract at Tyneside set to expire in 2021, Newcastle United would definitely need to make a decision on the future of Dwight Gayle sooner than later.
To that end, and with so many promotion-chasing clubs in the Championship expressing their interest in securing his services, it won’t be a bad idea for the Magpies to put him up for sale in a bid to bag a handsome ransom for the out-of-favour striker.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are placed well on the table to fight for promotion.
With that in mind, however, Forest’s lack of quality depth in their striking options could prove to be a stumbling block in their pursuit of promotion to the Premier League.
Lewis Grabban has been in good goalscoring form but Sabri Lamouchi would be wise enough to know that he is still light in his options up top.
Sammy Ameobi and Albert Adomah have chipped in with some valuable goal contributions so far, however, with Wolves loanee Rafa Mir failing to make much of an impact and youngster Brennan Johnson still very much a work in progress, Forest can certainly do with a proven goalscorer like Dwight Gayle to spearhead their surge for promotion.
The 29-year-old, who boasts of an impressive strike rate of 59 goals in 100 Championship appearances, has illustrated his proficiency in scoring goals for fun in the second-tier.
The acquisition of a bonafide goalscorer like him could just be the boost that Forest need to end their long exile from the top-tier of English football.
All in all, Dwight Gayle has all the makings of being a promotion-winning signing for Nottingham Forest and it should be an absolute no-brainer for the Reds to go all out in their pursuit of the 29-year-old during the mid-season trading period.
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