Fulham may return with another bid for Newcastle United’s Dwight Gayle in January despite the striker featuring in the first team, according to Get West London.
The website claim that Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic is keen to add a striker with Championship experience to his squad as they push for promotion in the second-half of the season.
Get West London report that the Cottagers were linked with a move for Gayle in the summer, and could return despite the transfer being “costly.”
Sky Sports claimed in August that Fulham had bid £15million for Gayle, but that they were unsuccessful due to the Magpies wanting a fee closer to £20million.
The striker has made 17 appearances for the Magpies in the Premier League this season and has scored three goals.
Gayle has only failed to appear in three of Newcastle United’s league games so far, as the Magpies continue to battle the threat of relegation.
Good move for Newcastle?
Whether this is a good move depends on who the Magpies would be able to sign as a replacement, as well as how quickly they would be able to do it. Newcastle United are in a relegation fight going to January with a small squad as it is, so letting Gayle go could be a huge mistake for the club.
While the striker hasn’t been prolific, it would be a risk to sell him even if a new name arrives at St James Park.
This Is Futbol rating: 4/10
Likely to happen?
With Gayle featuring regularly for the Magpies, it’s hard to see Benitez letting him go unless he’s able to secure a replacement first. This could prove to be a deal breaker for Fulham, as they are trying to secure a striker as soon as possible. The Whites are already six points off the play-off places as they struggle to score, and will not want to wait too long for Gayle as they could fall further behind.
This Is Futbol rating: 4/10