Chris Wilder will look to sign Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle for West Brom if he is appointed Baggies manager this summer, a report from a print edition of The Sunday Mirror (30/05, p76) has claimed.

With the Baggies looking for a new manager following their relegation from the Premier League, Wilder is one of those who has been strongly linked with the managerial hotseat at The Hawthorns.

Now it seems as though the former Sheffield United boss is already lining up potential transfer targets, should he get the job.

According to this latest update, Wilder will look to re-sign Gayle for West Brom this summer if he is appointed by The Baggies.

Gayle previously spent a hugely productive spell on loan at West Brom from Newcastle during the 2018/19 campaign, where he scored 24 goals in 41 appearances for the Baggies as they missed out on promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

This season, Gayle made just 18 Premier League appearances for Newcastle, scoring once in that time, although recent reports from The Athletic have claimed the striker has signed a new deal to keep him at St James' Park until the summer of 2024.

That however, has yet to be confirmed by the club, with Gayle's current deal at Newcastle due to expire this summer.

The Verdict

This could be a very smart move by Wilder if he gets the job and is able to bring Gayle back to The Hawthorns.

The striker was a popular figure during his first spell with West Brom, and he has consistently shown that he is more than capable of getting goals in the Championship.

As a result, bringing him in would no doubt be a move that would go down well with Baggies fans, helping Wilder's cause when it comes to getting them onside if he takes over at the club.

However, depending on the situation surrounding Gayle's contract, this may not be an easy one for West Brom to pull off, so this could be an interesting one to keep an eye on in the next few weeks.