In a recent print edition, the Sunday Mirror (14/3, Page 68) has mentioned that Newcastle United centre-forward Dwight Gayle is on Galatasaray’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window. It has been revealed that the English striker could join his former teammate DeAndre Yedlin at the Türk Telekom Stadium when his contract with the Magpies runs out at the end of this campaign (transcripted and translated by Shields Gazette).
Gayle’s Mounting Frustrations At Newcastle This Season
Gayle has endured a frustrating season at St. James’ Park thus far after missing a significant chunk of this campaign because of a medial collateral ligament injury. The experienced frontman has only taken part in 13 matches for the Tyneside outfit this term, scoring one goal in the process across all competitions.
Most of Gayle’s appearances have come off the bench, which explains why he is only averaging 0.7 shots and 0.3 key passes per game in the Premier League. However, he has distributed the ball quite well in the final third as he has completed 83.3% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
However, with Callum Wilson out of action right now, Gayle could still have a few more chances to prove his worth at the highest level and help the Magpies avoid getting dragged into the relegation zone going into the business end of this campaign.
What Does The English Marksman Bring To The Table?
Gayle is a highly experienced forward who can score some important goals for his side when he is fully fit and playing regularly on the field. However, those days have been few and far between for the English forward this season because of his long injury absence which has hampered his career at Tyneside.
The London-born talent can link up play well with others around him and can get himself into some dangerous areas in and around the opponent’s penalty box. However, father time is catching up with him, which has seen him lose a yard of pace in recent seasons.
Should The Magpies Let Gayle Leave In The Summer?
Gayle has got less than six months remaining on his current contract at St. James’ Park. At 31, the ex-Crystal Palace attacker is on the decline, so Bruce has no reason to keep him at the club beyond this summer. It will be only fair to the player if the Magpies boss lets him go as he is currently surplus to requirements at Tyneside. Gayle is in dire need of regular first-team football, so maybe a switch to Turkey would be an ideal move for him at this stage of his football career.
