A host of Chinese Super League clubs are believed to be interested in signing Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle, who has been tearing it up in the Championship on loan with West Bromwich Albion.
According to the Sunday People, Gayle's impressive brace against fellow recently relegated side Stoke City caught the admiring eye of clubs in the Far East. However, the report gives no indication as to which sides in particular are interested in the 27-year-old, and the origins of the alleged interest appear unclear.
Some have suggested, perhaps not unfairly, that Gayle has found his level in the Championship, having excelled in the division previously with Peterborough United and the Magpies. On the back of 23 goals in the competition in the 2016/17 season, the former Crystal Palace man netted on just six occasions in the Premier League for the Toon last season.
Given his lack of form in the English top tier, Newcastle may well look to cash in on the player following the end of his loan spell. The wages paid in the Chinese Super League are among the highest in world football, and Gayle would be certain to land a significantly higher pay check should he opt for a new challenge.
Meanwhile, Magpies captain Jamaal Lascelles has played down reports surrounded an alleged bust up with his teammate Matt Ritchie. The 24-year-old claimed that reporters had blown the story out of proportion, and that disagreements were a normal part of football given the high octane, physical nature of the sport.