According to a new report in the Daily Mail, a ‘swap-deal’ involving Dwight Gayle and Salomon Rondon could be back on following Slaven Bilic’s appointment at West Brom.
The baggies’ technical director Luke Dowling had said that the club could not afford to pay ‘Premier League wages’ after missing out on promotion, but it sounds like talks are now set to take place to see if Gayle would be open to a return to the Hawthorns.
A £16.5m release clause exists in Rondon’s contract at West Brom, but it seems Ashley is reluctant to pay that given he turns 30 later this year. With that in mind, a part-exchange of sorts could be our best route to bringing the Venezuelan back to St James’ this summer.
Here’s a snippet from the Daily Mail’s latest piece on a potential deal involving Gayle and Rondon:
Dwight Gayle could return to West Brom next season as part of any deal that allows Newcastle United to sign Salomon Rondon.
New Albion boss Slaven Bilic is reluctant to lose Gayle who scored 24 goals during a successful loan spell at The Hawthorns last year and settled well with his family in the West Midlands.
West Brom were unable to make Gayle’s signing from Newcastle permanent in May because of his Premier League wages but talks will take place to see if the 28-year-old can stay as part of a package that would also keep Rondon at St James’ Park.
I’m quite certain that any deal for Rondon would be reliant on Rafa Benitez staying at the club, but this could at least give us some fresh hope of bringing the big man back to St James’ Park.
Not only that, it was reported just a few days ago that Wolves had ‘pulled out’ of the race for the 29-year-old, suggesting we were now the ‘front runners’ to sign him as a result.
He should be the first signing we make after Rafa Benitez this summer, but it seems to me it will rely on us A) paying his £16.5 release clause and/or B) Gayle being happy to spend another season in the Championship.
