Crystal Palace have accepted a bid from Championship side Bristol City for striker Dwight Gayle, which is believed to be an initial £6million, that could possibly rise to £8million according to Sky Sources. Gayle has been the subject of interest from various clubs this summer which include enquiries from Middlesbroughand QPR and a failed bid from newly promoted side Bournemouth, who also failed to secure the services of Glenn Murray, another Palace forward. Dwight Gayle has been a solid forward for The Eagles, however the 25 year-old striker has struggled for playing time under manager Alan Pardew and may be in need of the move in order to progress.
Gayle signed for Crystal Palace from Peterborough United in the summer window of 2013, and it didn’t take him very long before he scored his first goal for the club. Due to injuries, Gayle found it hard to come by chances in the first team, however he did manage to impress when given a chance to play; many followers of the Premier League fondly remember that Gayle was one of the players responsible for ending Liverpool’s title hopes in the 2013/14 Season when he helped Crystal Palace come back from 3-0 down to earn a draw, scoring two goals in the process. Despite injuries Gayle ended his first season with Crystal Palace as the club’s top scorer, bagging seven goals in 23 appearances.
Dwight Gayle will take a step down to the Championship by signing for Bristol City, which may help him to re-establish himself as a potent striker.
Gayle proved himself in the championship whilst on loan with Peterborough, scoring seven goals in nine appearances which led to The Posh securing his services on a permanent basis.
Crystal Palace have recruited somewhat heavily this season, bringing in 5 new players, two of which are former Sunderland striker Connor Wickham, who signed a five year deal and the loan acquisition of Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford who performed impressively during his time at Middlesbrough in the 2014/15 season, scoring 19 goals in 43 appearances and being voted the Football League Championship Player of the Year.
These signings show that under Alan Pardew, Gayle will find himself spending a lot of time on the bench, which isn’t ideal for a player who will soon approach his peak.
Gayle will prove to be a shrewd acquisition for Bristol City should the transfer materialise.
