Midlands heavyweights West Bromwich Albion are eyeing a loan swoop for Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle, according to The Chronicle.
The newspaper revealed the news on its news and transfer centre [14/11; 10:14], claiming that the Championship outfit want to bring the 29-year-old back to The Hawthorns in January.
The Englishman spent the entirety of last season in a very successful temporary stint with the Baggies, but has only appeared twice for the Magpies so far this campaign due to injury [Source: Transfermarkt].
However, The Chronicle’s report states that it is unlikely that head coach Steve Bruce will allow Gayle to leave due to his well-publicised desire to work with him.
OPINION
You can see exactly why West Brom would want to get Gayle back in, he scored 24 times in 41 games for them last term, after all. He is about as good of a second tier striker as there is in business these days, but another loan spell is surely not on the cards for him at the moment. Bruce has spoken many times about his desire to work with the former Crystal Palace man and, given the Magpies’ struggles in front of goal this season, it would be a major surprise if he allowed Gayle out the door in January. Joelinton, Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin and Andy Carroll have only scored once between them all campaign, and so to let a proven goalscorer like Gayle leave would be bizarre in the extreme. So while West Brom may well want him back, and with good reason, Newcastle would be mad to let him go, especially on a loan deal with no real financial benefit to them.
