Sources: Middlesbrough and Stoke join race to sign Newcastle star Gayle
Middlesbrough and Stoke City have joined the race to sign Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle in January, Football Insider has learned.
The forward's future at St James' Park is up in the air going into the January window.
A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Championship duo Boro and Stoke are keeping close tabs on Gayle's situation.
This comes after the 32-year-old was linked last week with two other second-tier big guns, West Brom and Nottingham Forest.
They are all in the market for a goalscorer capable of making an immediate impact in the second half of the season.
Gayle's availability will depend upon a series of factors, not least whether Newcastle are able to sign their top January targets.
Eddie Howe's priority, as Football Insider revealed last month, is to strengthen the spine of the team, with two centre-backs and a central midfielder among their leading targets.
Gayle has hardly played this season despite being fit and available for selection.
He has made just three Premier League sub appearances and his total game time in all competitions amounts to 96 minutes.
Gayle signed a new contract with Newcastle in July that runs until the summer of 2024.
By that point the former Crystal Palace, Peterborough United and West Brom loanee will have turned 34.