Newcastle United are set to beat Aston Villa to the signing of Crystal Palace striker Dwight Gayle, according to reports from the Birmingham Mail.
Rafael Benitez will be looking to significantly strengthen his squad this summer and bringing in a new striker will be one of the priorities for the Spanish manager.
Recently, it had been claimed that Newcastle as well as fellow Championship side Aston Villa had identified Crystal Palace star Dwight Gayle as a potential target this summer and now the Birmingham Mail have gone on to provide an update regarding the speculation.
The report state that Newcastle have stolen a march on Villa in the race to sign Gayle and the Magpies are on the verge of sealing the deal for the former Peterborough United striker.
Gayle signed a brand new contract with Palace last season and as a result, he is likely to cost Newcastle a fee of around £10 million.
The fee is certainly a hefty one but Gayle is a very good finisher and he would perhaps prove to be a very good signing in the Championship for Newcastle.
