OPINION
It’s been clear for a while now that striker Dwight Gayle doesn’t really have a future with Newcastle United. He spent the season on loan at West Bromwich Albion and excelled, but the Baggies have decided not to sign him permanently.
The Northern Echo reported on Friday that the 28-year-old could hold the key to signing Magpies transfer target Joelinton from Hoffenheim. The German side are said to be under the impression that Rafael Benitez’s team will spend at least £30million on the Brazilian.
To do that they would surely need to cast Gayle aside, and that’s exactly what they must do. The Echo’s report states that he is valued at £20million, and that Fulham, Norwich City and Aston Villa are all interested in him.
The Magpies need to offload the Englishman this summer, because then they will be able to afford the man they really want, Joelinton. Journalist Chris Waugh revealed a Chronicle Q & A [26/05; 12:29] earlier this month that the 22-year-old is a long-term target of Benitez’s.
However, if Newcastle are really going to smash their transfer record once again by spending £30-40million, then they’d surely have to get rid of Gayle to help finance the move. That would account for half or more of the amount it’s going to take to sign the attacker.
None of this is any disrespect to Gayle; he’s simply not Benitez’s cup of tea. Joelinton, though, appears to be just what the Spaniard is looking for. With that said, the club must get rid of one man so they can upgrade to the other.
That must be on the agenda for the Magpies this summer. The Hoffenheim star is a fantastic young talent who is only going to get better in the years to come. If Gayle has to be sacrificed to bring him in, so be it.
