#3 Dwight Gayle
If Newcastle indeed sew up the signing of Tammy Abraham, then he could well form a formidable striking partnership with Dwight Gayle, who also hit 23 goals last season as the Magpies won the Championship to climb back up into the Premier League. It was Gayle’s first season back in the Championship since he played there with Peterborough in 2012-13, and he certainly made the most of the opportunity following a tricky time at Crystal Palace.
While Gayle did score some goals in the Premier League with Palace – 10 in 2014-15 for instance – he was never truly given an extended run in the first team there and 2015-16, in particular, was frustrating for him, as he only made 16 league appearances. Injuries hampered his time at Selhurst Park and while he’s spent some time on the shelf at Newcastle too, only playing 32 of the 46 league games, it just makes his goals-to-games ratio even more impressive in a way.
Whether Gayle can score regularly in the Premier League is a question mark, but he seems to have all the attributes to succeed – he’s pacey, gets himself into the right positions and he appears to have a natural knack for finishing too. And under Rafael Benitez at 27 years old – likely the peak of his career – this is his chance to prove his doubters wrong.
