[ad_pod ]

West Bromwich Albion's loan striker Dwight Gayle is open to returning to parent club Newcastle United at the end of the season, according to The Chronicle.

What's the word?

After a lacklustre Premier League campaign, Gayle moved to The Hawthorns on a season-long loan.

Since becoming a Baggies player, the striker has scored nine goals and registered one assist in 14 Championship appearances.

Gayle has been a pivotal part of Darren Moore's team, but it looks as though the club might struggle to sign him on a permanent deal.

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle refused to include a buyout clause in the loan arrangement and even though the striker is focused on West Brom, he is open to going back to St James' Park.

What should West Brom do?

Unless a clause has been added, the loan club have very little power in what happens to a player come the end of the campaign.

Gayle has become an important player at The Hawthorns, which is encouraging for the club as he may want to continue leading the line.

The 28-year-old, who is valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, has formed a deal trio alongside Jay Rodriguez and Harvey Barnes, but a lot will depend on where both clubs finish this season.

West Brom are firmly in the race for promotion, while Newcastle have been struggling in the lower half of the Premier League.

There is a lot of uncertainty at the moment, but if the door is open for Gayle to return to the Magpies, then Moore should already start looking at potential replacements.

In theory, West Brom could suffer a double blow as Barnes is only on loan at the club from Leicester City, and he too has been an important part of the team.