OPINION
They say that if something is too good to be true, it is usually too good to be true.
Take Newcastle United’s striking situation.
The Magpies brought in Salomon Rondon on loan from West Brom last summer, with Dwight Gayle going in the other direction.
The Venezuelan has been a revelation for the Toon Army, while Gayle has been one of the standout performers of the Championship season.
Everything has been hunky-dory.
To top it off, the assumption was that the loan swap would be made into a permanent deal come the transfer window, with Gayle being used as a makeweight to help secure the South American’s services.
That plan looks to have gone up in smoke, however, with the suggestion from Albion that they will not be looking to sign Gayle this summer, as reported in the Express and Star.
The Baggies’ reasoning behind the decision is their inability to afford the striker’s wage demands. That’s entirely fair enough, but it leaves Newcastle in a bit of a predicament.
Suddenly, from having the perfect broker to help them secure a deal for their new talisman, they now have no bargaining power and a striker on the books that they deem surplus to requirements.
Superficially, things don’t look great, but in reality, this could prove to be a blessing in disguise.
Gayle has proven once and for all this season that he is the quintessential Championship hitman, and that makes him invaluable to sides chasing promotion.
Whereas a deal with West Brom would have seen him used as a bargaining chip, having him free of that negotiation means that the Magpies can ask whatever they want for him – and after another stellar year, there will be a fair few willing to pay it.
Bring in a decent enough fee, and you might even even able to afford a certain Venezuelan.
Gayle, and the capital he represents, is still the key to signing Rondon.
