Chronicle Live journalist Mark Douglas says he could still see Dwight Gayle leaving Newcastle United this summer.

The lowdown

The Athletic reported at the end of March that Newcastle had committed Gayle to a new three-year contract.

Gayle has a prolific track record, with 103 career goals to his name, but his involvement has been limited this season.

The Englishman has played only 503 Premier League minutes, albeit having missed the first 10 matches of the season with an MCL injury (via Transfermarkt).

His one and only goal in 2020/21 came against former club West Bromwich Albion as he came off the bench to net an 82nd-minute winner at St James' Park.

Manager Steve Bruce nonetheless regards Gayle as a 'natural goalscorer' and says he is 'invaluable' to the squad.

The latest

Douglas was asked in a fan Q&A what areas Newcastle need to target this summer.

He said that a player of Joe Willock's ilk is clearly necessary, as well as 'defensive reinforcements'.

But he also thinks that proper back-up for Callum Wilson will be required, revealing that he believes Gayle will depart despite signing that new deal.

The verdict

This is a surprising comment from Douglas, given that Newcastle had seemingly tied Gayle down for the exact purpose of providing support for Wilson.

One has to wonder if the new deal was a means of protecting his transfer value with a view to a summer sale.

There would likely be plentiful interest in the 30-year-old from the Championship given his devastating record in the second tier, so perhaps cashing in to reinvest in a more top-flight proven player was always the plan.

In other news, Lee Ryder has an issued an update on the future of another striker.