West Brom could secure Dwight Gayle as move to rivals hits stumbling block
West Brom have been given a boost in their pursuit of Dwight Gayle as a proposed move to Middlesbrough has stalled, according to The Athletic.
Gayle is seen as surplus to requirements at Newcastle this season, with him being omitted from their preseason squad and TalkSport reporting that he had been demoted to the Under-23s.
He had been in discussions over a loan move to Chris Wilder’s Middlesbrough, but The Athletic reported on Thursday (14 July) that those talks have now stalled.
The Northern Echo had previously credited Albion with an interest in bringing him back to the Hawthorns this summer, but said the club had failed to present a suitable financial package.
However, with his move to Teesside now appearing unlikely, Albion have a chance to go back in for their former star.
Get it done
While it may be tiresome to see Albion linked with a return for Gayle seemingly every window, it would be a very smart move for The Baggies.
While Gayle has aged and barely played since his loan spell at the club ended in 2019, he is still a very talented player that would be an asset for Albion.
Currently, Daryl Dike and Karlan Grant are the only recognised strikers at Steve Bruce’s disposal, and both are similar types of players.
They are both physical players capable of holding the ball up well and are lethal finishers, but that leaves Bruce without a real Plan B if it is not working.
Gayle is a completely different type of player, relying on pace and intelligent movement to burn past his defenders and leave them in the dust.
This would give Albion the versatility they need to properly put them over the top as they look to mount a promotion challenge next season.
In other West Brom news, Okay Yokuslu is closing in on a return to the Baggies as he prepares for a medical.