Steve Bruce is ready to sanction a second loan-spell exit for Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle, according to the Daily Star.
The newspaper claim on their website that Leeds United are set to rival fellow Championship side Stoke City for the signing of the 28-year-old.
The Daily Star report that Marcelo Bielsa’s side will only make a move for the £40,000 per-week forward [Source: Spotrac] should they sanction a move for Kemar Roofe to leave Elland Road to join Belgian side Anderlecht.
Gayle took the second division by storm when at West Brom last season, managing to score 24 goals and adding eight assists in his 40 appearances.
OPINION
Newcastle will not be able to escape the fact that Gayle will always attract interest from the Championship, especially with his phenomenal goal record in that division. In his previous two seasons in the league, one with West Brom and the other at the Magpies, the 28-year-old has scored 46 goals – with his Newcastle effort guiding them to the title in 2016. With the arrival of Allan Saint-Maximin joining club-record signing Joelinton, Bruce now seems happy to let Gayle leave St James’ Park, something that makes total sense with the proven goalscorer nowhere near the first team set up behind the two new signings and Yoshinori Muto. Gayle has struggled in the Premier League during his career, having played only one more game in the Championship than the top-flight but has managed to be involved in 50 more goals [Source: Transfermarkt]. That only proves his worth as a poacher in the Championship, and if Leeds do decide to sell their striker in Roofe, it would be no surprise to see them spearhead an attack for Gayle in the next week or so.
