Jamie Redknapp has questioned why Newcastle United offloaded Dwight Gayle to West Brom during the summer.
Writing in his weekly Daily Mail column, the high-profile pundit explained how he could not fathom with the Premier League strugglers decided to dispense with a proven goalscorer.
Gayle was loaned out for the season to the Championship club as part of a swap deal that saw Salomon Rondon head the other way to Tyneside.
“Why on earth did Newcastle let Dwight Gayle go on loan to West Brom? While his replacement Salomon Rondon has not scored in the league, Gayle has eight goals in his last 10 league games,” Redknapp told the Daily Mail.
“Newcastle struggled in front of goal once again in their home defeat by Brighton and the players must be running out of patience with Rafa Benitez.
“Newcastle’s players are not as bad as results and performances suggest but they are being hamstrung by their manager’s negative tactics.”
OPINION
Newcastle are crying out for a goalscorer, even one who may not have the movement of Mohamed Salah, the hold-up play of Harry Kane or the clinical finishing of Sergio Aguero. They have a half-decent one – by Premier League standards – on their books, but he is currently on loan to a second-tier club, where he is continuing to prove he has a deadly eye for goal if he is given the ball in the right areas. Some might sniffily dismiss Gayle as a Championship striker who can’t do it in the top tier. They said the same about Aleksandar Mitrovic, too. Sure, Gayle’s Premier League record of 21 goals from 99 matches does not come close to matching his Championship tally of 44 strikes from 72 games. But he is a better finisher than anyone available to Rafael Benitez. Newcastle are bottom of the league because they can’t buy a goal for love nor money. Gayle would be able to change that, and the decision to loan him out is starting to look like a terrible one from Rafa.