Stoke City are unwilling to meet Newcastle United’s valuation of striker Dwight Gayle, according to the Chronicle.
The newspaper claim on their website that the Championship side have “baulked” over a deal for the £40,000 per-week ace [Source: Spotrac], with the Magpies valuing Gayle at £15million, a fee they can’t afford.
The Chronicle report that the 28-year-old wants to remain at St James’ Park under Steve Bruce and fight for his place ahead of club-record signing Joelinton next season.
Gayle is still recovering from a calf injury suffered in China on the club’s pre-season trip and has failed to feature in any of the Magpies’ friendlies so far.
OPINION
There is no denying the fact that Gayle is a proven goal scorer in English football, the doubt creeps in when his ability to consistently score in the Premier League is questioned. The 28-year-old highlighted his poaching instincts when scoring 24 goals in 41 appearances whilst on loan at West Brom in the Championship last season. Gayle also produced for the Magpies, firing them to the second-tier title three years ago, when he scored 23 goals. Gayle has only played one more game in the Championship than he has the Premier League, but has scored 38 more goals [Source: Transfermarkt] – proof that he is better placed in the second-tier and Bruce should bear that in mind when considering the forward’s future in the North East. With Yoshinori Muto also doing his bit in pre-season to stake a claim, after scoring against West Ham in the Premier League Asia Trophy, it appears that Gayle has fallen down the queue to third at the Magpies – an even bigger sign that the forward’s injury has come at the worst possible time, and could ultimately seal his fate, with an exit surely on the cards should any club go anywhere near the suggested £15million fee.
