da gbg bet： According to reports in the Newcastle Chronicle, Newcastle United are still interested in bringing Burnley striker Andre Gray to St James’ Park this summer and they have been boosted by the fact that his new contract talks with the Clarets have stalled, according to the Daily Mail.
da betway： Magpies manager Rafa Benitez is keen to provide some more support for last season’s top goalscorer Dwight Gayle on the club’s return to the Premier League next season, as the Spaniard looks to avoid being involved in a relegation battle.
He has certainly been boosted in his pursuit of Gray, with Burnley so far refusing to meet his £70,000-a-week demands according to the report in the Daily Mail – an amount that the Tyneside outfit could be willing to match.
While he may have only had one season playing in the top flight, the 26-year-old made a big impression and it is no surprise that he is attracting interest from other clubs.
Here are three reasons Newcastle must go all out to sign Gray…
Goals
Despite scoring 23 goals in 41 Championship appearances for Burnley in the 2015/16 season as the Clarets won promotion to the Premier League, there is always a question mark over whether a striker can make the step up to the top flight.
Gray was in that situation last summer ahead of his first season playing Premier League football, but he certainly showed that he can perform at that level.
The 26-year-old netted nine times in 32 top flight appearances to help Burnley steer clear of a relegation battle, and Benitez would hope that he does the same if he joined Newcastle.
Price tag
According to reports in the Daily Mail, the likes of Everton, West Ham United and Tottenham have shown interest in making a £10m move for Gray if he is unable to agree a new contract with Burnley.
If true, that will be one of the reasons that Newcastle have joined the chase to sign the 26-year-old, as that amount could be seen as a bargain fee in the current transfer market, considering he scored nine Premier League goals last season.
Benitez will certainly be keen to get good value for money on any additions he makes this summer, and Gray would fit into that category if he is available for £10m.
Potential
At 26 years of age Gray is still yet to reach the peak years of his career, but if Newcastle sign him this summer then they would have him for that period.
The striker will have only learnt from his experiences of his first year of Premier League football last season and will be keen to make an even bigger impression next term, especially with the 2018 World Cup on the horizon.
Gray will be well aware that if he can find the net on a regular basis that he could impress England manager Gareth Southgate and put himself in contention to be called into the Three Lions’ squad, much like Jermain Defoe did last season.
Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.