DWIGHT GAYLE is ready to call time on his Newcastle United career by pushing for a permanent move to West Brom next summer.

Gayle moved to the Hawthorns on a season-long loan in August, with Salomon Rondon completing a transfer in the opposite direction, and has been in fine form since, scoring nine goals in 14 Championship matches.

His performances have led to inevitable questions about his long-term future, and with Rafael Benitez clearly harbouring reservations about his suitability for the Premier League, the 28-year-old appears to have little appetite for a return to St James’ Park.

His future will be influenced by whether Newcastle look to sign Rondon permanently next summer, and the outcome of West Brom’s attempts to regain their Premier League status in the wake of last season’s relegation. Whatever happens on those two fronts, though, the prospect of a full-time switch to the Hawthorns seems to appeal.

Gayle admits a permanent transfer to West Brom has ‘crossed his mind’, and having signed the third loan deal of his career when he agreed to move to the West Midlands in the summer, the striker wants to avoid putting his two young children through even more upheaval.

“I’d like to know where I’m going to be for the next few years, and settle in a bit more,” said Gayle, who is contracted to Newcastle until 2021.

“I’ve moved in, but I know it’s not my home, and might have to move again in six months. You haven’t decorated it or unpacked everything. It’s a weird one, but at the same time, it’s part of football.”

Selling Gayle next summer could make it easier for Newcastle to make striker signings of their own, but Mike Ashley will demand an acceptable return for the forward, who cost £10m when he joined the Magpies from Crystal Palace in 2016.

West Brom would not be able to afford an eight-figure fee if they were still in the Championship next season, but as was the case with Aleksandar Mitrovic and Fulham, the situation might well change if Darren Moore’s side were to win promotion this season.

Benitez is assessing his transfer options ahead of January, but a more immediate concern is the injury that could keep Paul Dummett out of Monday’s trip to Burnley.

Dummett pulled up in Wales’ Nations League defeat to Denmark on Friday night, and was left out of Ryan Giggs’ squad for this evening’s friendly in Albania.