Newcastle United's 'priority' in the summer transfer window is to land a striker, according to The I's Mark Douglas.

The lowdown

Eddie Howe's current centre-forward options at St James' Park are Callum Wilson, Chris Wood and Dwight Gayle.

Having turned 30, Wilson is now past the typical peak window for a striker, and injuries have limited his availability.

Meanwhile, Wood has struggled in front of goal since his £25m January move from Burnley, netting just once from open play in his first 15 appearances; and Douglas reported that Gayle has been placed on the transfer list.

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The latest

Douglas took to Twitter on Monday evening to share a link to his corresponding article for The I, stating: "It's a striker #NUFC want this summer as a 'priority'."

He reported that he has spoken to a senior club source, who told him that Newcastle will be 'very active' in the summer transfer window.

Douglas added that the club's objective is to add 'quality not quality', potentially pointing towards a smaller amount of high-calibre additions rather than a lengthier list of mid-range arrivals.

The verdict

Which striker could Newcastle look to bring in?

The Athletic's Chris Waugh has reported that Darwin Nunez of Benfica has long been admired, but he is expected to move elsewhere, probably to a club playing in European competition.

A more realistic option may be Reims' Hugo Ekitike, who has bagged 10 goals in 24 appearances this season, averaging one every 134 minutes, and was the subject of offers from the Magpies in January.

The £18m-rated teenager could potentially be the centre-forward around whom the team is built if he comes to Tyneside and lives up to the potential that he's currently showing.

In other news, one journalist fawns over the prospect of this man linking up with Bruno Guimaraes at NUFC