Newcastle United are pricing Dwight Gayle out of a return to West Bromwich Albion, according to the Express and Star.
Baggies boss Slaven Bilic is said to be ‘desperate’ to sign a proven goalscorer before the summer transfer window slams shut at 17:00, but has been unable to convince Magpies chiefs to sanction a deal for Gayle to return to the Hawthorns.
The West Midlands outfit are understood to have placed a loan-to-buy proposal on the table during negotiations earlier in the week, although the deal would be on the provision of West Brom securing promotion back into the Premier League.
Newcastle, though, are only open to parting ways with Gayle on a permanent basis, and the forward is likewise holding out for a full-time transfer rather than another temporary relocation, having spent the 2018/19 term on loan at the Hawthorns.
The London-born 28-year-old is allegedly demanding a sizable signing-on bonus should he leave Tyneside before the market closes, as well as a pay-rise that would take his wage from £40,000-a-week to £65k-a/w.
West Brom are unable to afford the fees being quoted for the centre-forward, and have turned their attention away from the North East with Deadline Day now underway, as they refuse to wait and see if Gayle will become available for a loan deal at a suitable price.
Bilic turning his efforts elsewhere will be a nice boost for Steve Bruce, as the new Toon boss had shared his intentions to retain the former Arsenal youth player recently.
“I want to keep him,” he said, amid interest from West Brom, Leeds United and Stoke City. “As I keep saying, you’re only as good as your strikers. In that area, we need a threat, and Gayle has always been part of my plans.