Sheffield United are set to rival Middlesbrough for the signing of Dwight Gayle this summer.

According to The Star, the Blades are hoping to attract the Newcastle United forward to Bramall Lane this summer.

It was originally reported that Chris Wilder’s side are hoping to sign the 32-year old, but now his former club are hoping to swoop in to bring the striker to Paul Heckingbottom’s team.

Gayle has fallen out of favour at St James’ Park, appearing only eight times in the Premier League last season.

All of those appearances came from the bench, with the Englishman failing to score from any of his limited opportunities in the team.

The former Crystal Palace player has scored five league goals in three league seasons for Newcastle, but has previous experience of performing well in the Championship.

Despite Gayle being on a contract worth £40,000 a week, that is not seen as a barrier for United, whose chief executive Stephen Bettis claimed recently is far exceeded by the club’s current spending capabilities.

"To put it bluntly, the loan market means we can sign a player on £70,000 a week from a Premier League club because of where the numbers are, so we feel we can get a couple of really decent players from the Premier League,” Bettis said.

“It's also our reputation as well that helps - we've built relationships and players have been successful here so they don't mind them coming here.”

Gayle’s two most prolific seasons came in the second division, when he scored 23 goals for both Newcastle and Crystal Palace in 2016-17 and 2018-19.

United and Boro would be hoping to add firepower to their sides this summer as they both look to push for promotion next campaign.

The Verdict

Gayle would be an interesting signing for United to make, given his history of performing well in the Championship.

While it has been a difficult few years at Newcastle, he could still yet prove to be useful for the Blades.

If he could repeat his goal scoring feats of previous campaigns in this league then he would be a great signing for Heckingbottom’s team.

But there is also a risk that he is now past his best and no longer capable of playing at such a high level.