Chris Waugh has been speaking on Pod on the Tyne about how he was shocked to see Eddie Howe bring on Dwight Gayle last weekend.
Newcastle United splashed out £25m in January on Chris Wood to lead the line in the absence of Callum Wilson, but after just two goals in 12 appearances for the Magpies, Howe may have been reconsidering his options in the final third.
Does Gayle need to leave Newcastle?
Yes!
No!
However, the options are very thin when it comes to strikers at Newcastle, with Gayle the only other natural centre-forward Howe can call upon – and he has just five Premier League strikes to his name since the start of the 2019/20 season.
As Newcastle went in search of a winner against Leicester City, Howe threw on Gayle and brought off Allan Saint-Maximin – something that caught Waugh off guard.
He said: “We saw the lesser-spotted Dwight Gayle even get on the other day, which was a shock.”
TIF Thoughts on Gayle…
The 32-year-old striker still has a contract to run until 2024 and his ‘top-flight wages’, as reported by Waugh in The Athletic, are likely to continue in holding him back from moving to another club, likely in the Championship.
Ever since Gayle joined the Magpies, his minutes and starts have reduced season upon season, but Howe proved on Sunday that if things aren’t working or clicking up front, he’s not afraid to hand Gayle a chance if he is proving his worth in training during the week.
However, Luke Edwards has reported that Newcastle are indeed interested in signing Darwin Nunez this summer, but if they can’t attract him to the club without Champions League football, they may look to sign Ivan Toney for the second time during his career, which would likely signal the end of Gayle’s time in the first team at Newcastle.
In other news: ‘Somebody at the top of the club said…’ – Caulkin reveals Newcastle ace now ‘100%’ staying