Selling Gayle would be a risk given Newcastle’s lack of natural goalscorers

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Newcastle United need goalscorers and there has never been much doubt that Dwight Gayle is one; the question has always been whether he can bag the goals in the Premier League.

Gayle’s form in Newcastle’s promotion season and for West Brom during the early months of his loan spell prove beyond doubt that he is a hugely prolific striker at Championship level.

But there is a perception that he is a striker who falls into the crack between the top flight and the second tier; Cameron Jerome syndrome in the sense that he cannot quite cut it in the Premier League.

That has always felt slightly unfair. In the era of physical, lone strikers in the Premier League, some managers prefer players who can offer more off the ball than Gayle can but are less prolific in front of goal.

Tony Pulis fell into that category at Crystal Palace, but Gayle still made important contributions to the Eagles’ attempts to stay in the top flight.

He could do the same for Newcastle too, but Rafa Benitez’s attritional suits a player like Salomon Rondon better, even if it means the Magpies’ goalscoring hopes linger on.

Benitez reportedly planning to swap Rondon for Gayle in January, which represents a risk.

Aleksandar Mitrovic is one goalscorer who has been shed by Benitez. If he sells another in Gayle and takes Newcastle down because they couldn’t score enough, he will only have himself to blame.