The NUFC regular Rafa could be tempted cash in on this summer – & there’d be plenty of interest

Dwight Gayle has struggled this year and his goal return, along with all the other attackers too, hasn’t really been enough this season to stay here in the long term. He was sensational in the Championship last year but like many others before him, has not managed to replicate anywhere near that form this year in the Premier League.

He looks totally out of sorts and his big misses this year have luckily not cost us as we have achieved safety. He works hard but we need more than that. This is why Newcastle would be wise to cash in this summer on the former Palace man…

Two linked already & plenty Championship interest would arrive 

He’s been pretty woeful this season, but his 23-goal haul in the second tier last season mean there’d be several promotion pushing Championship sides keen to sign him.

Fulham made £15m bid last summer and it’s reported that they still hold an interest, with Stoke also being strongly linked yesterday.

The Stoke Sentinel reckon they want him to spearhead their promotion push and again a large fee was mentioned for someone who has struggled to prove it at the top level, despite clear effort and a good work rate. He is 27 and if we sign a new striker and he is benched all next season his value would diminish further, so now seems like the ideal time to cash in.

A much needed overhaul of our attack

The display at Wembley last night was a prime example of where we are at the moment, solid, some neat play but no killer touch to really take games by the scruff of the neck. We need more firepower if we are to progress and the attacking department needs an overhaul really. Mitrovic, Gayle, Joselu could all move on and perhaps Perez retained for some depth. Since Ba left we have been short of real quality up front and Slimani has just not worked out either, despite my high hopes. This area of the field is the priority for us this summer.

An upgrade could be signed if we got £10-15m

With all three newly promoted team saying up, the likes of Rondon and Shaqiri (although a winger/no.10) would be available with release clauses of a similar fee to what we could get for selling Gayle. Rafa will no doubt have options abroad either but even selling Gayle and Mitrovic could technically give us over £30m to sign a top striker; if Ashley allows it of course.

Selling Gayle could be smart business – we could get a good fee to re-shuffle our attack and a Championship team could sign a striker who could likely fire them to promotion and that TV money windfall. After trying to sell him in January, you feel like Dwight’s days are numbered on Tyneside.

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About Simon Riddlesden

Lifelong Newcastle United fan and East Stand season ticket holder. Observations from a supporter who has followed NUFC during Champions League participation and through relegation, taking me from Milan to Scunthorpe.

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