Championship outfit Fulham were keenly monitoring Newcastle United’s striker Dwight Gayle in order to bring him to Craven Cottage during the summer transfer window. The Sun had reported last month that the Cottagers tabled a sensational bid of £18million to prise Gayle out of St. James’ Park, but the deal failed to cross the line.
The Magpies were caught in two minds as to whether strike the striker off their books and no wonder why the deal broke off in the final stage.
However, it is perceived that the London based outfit would go out with all guns blazing during the January transfer window to make Gayle sign on the dotted line, as per one of the latest reports. Under the tutelage of Slavisa Jokanovic, Fulham made some stupendous deals during the summer transfer window, as they lured the likes of Rui Fonte, Aboubakar Kamara, Ibrahima Cisse to their ranks, but had they signed someone like Gayle, they could have had the requisite depth in their attacking arsenal to bolster their chances of promotion to the Premier League.
The 27-year-old emerged through the youth ranks of Arsenal, but couldn’t venture into their senior side. So, he moved to lesser-famed sides like Stansted, Dagenham & Redbridge and Peterborough United, before making a move to Crystal Palace. It was after his move to the Selhurst Park that his offensive prowess started to get recognized and eventually, the Toon convinced him to join them last summer.
Gayle joined a side that was demoted to the English second division last season and proved to be a vital cog in Rafael Benitez’s tactical nous up front. He spearheaded their attack and smashed 22 goals in 31 games last season with an average shot accuracy of 68%.
But his recurring spells on the sidelines owing to his injuries halted his progress at times and that had become a headache for the former Napoli boss. However, the Geordies would be the losers if Fulham manages to sign him after some months.
The Englishman is an exceptional striker who is clinical up front and has an undeniable knack to create chances for his teammates as well. He is pleasantly fast, forces the opposition’s defenders to go haywire with his crispy movements and has a substantial amount of experience under his belt. Although he hasn’t proved himself properly in the Premier League, he should be handed ample amount of opportunities this season to showcase his mettle before his employers come to a conclusion.
Statistics Credits: Squawka.com
