Earlier this week, Rafa Benitez hinted at the prospect of “three or four” signings in the coming days and so far, that prospect is ringing true as Newcastle look to bolster their squad in their quest for promotion.

Belgian ‘keeper Matz Sels arrived for a fee of £4.5m on Wednesday and multiple reports have emerged claiming Crystal Palace striker Dwight Gayle will have a medical on Tyneside this evening.

The Chronicle say the deal is imminent and barring some unforeseen circumstances, the former Peterborough frontman will sign a five-year-deal with the Magpies.

Premier League followers will have seen snippets of Gayle in action for Pardew’s Palace, where he netted 15 times in 27 starts for the Eagles.

He was often used as a substitute and therefore, the impact he could have on games was limited. To find out more about the 25-year-old, one of our members, @SteveBurn91 had a chat with a Crystal Palace fanzine (@FYPFanzine) on Twitter.

1) What will Dwight Gayle bring to Newcastle? Dwight Gayle is an out and out striker – a player whose only real purpose is to score goals, which is great news if you’re in need of them – and in a Championship side, the qualities he has should shine.

2) Why was he never a regular starter at Palace? He’s had a difficult time at Palace. His first season was a struggle. He came from a just-relegated Peterborough side, and was expected to get up to the pace of the Premier League immediately. With Ian Holloway in charge he struggled, and Tony Pulis felt he wasn’t mentally strong enough to play.

Gayle’s biggest problem is that he’s the kind of striker that needs to play alongside another bigger and stronger forward. His second season saw him fall victim to that as Neil Warnock attempted (and failed) to play him as the lone striker, and his third was similar again. He can play on the wing but he’s not nearly as effective in that position.

3) Does he have the potential to be a top Premier League player? Absolutely. He scores goals, he just needs a team and tactics that suit him. The key is ensuring he gets a chance at goal – he needs those chances created for him as, from our experience, he rarely creates them himself.

4) What is the best aspect of his game? His finishing. It was disappointing seeing him miss the chance he had in the FA Cup Final as he is typically so clinical in that position. His movement across the defensive line is excellent and his timing is typically spot-on, but as I mentioned before, he struggles to create chances for himself and he needs other players around him to really make things tick.

5) What are his weaknesses as a player? His biggest weakness was a lack of physicality – although in the latter stages of last season he bulked up significantly. His other weakness is the fact that he’s such a specialist when it comes to his position – it just means that you have to cater tactics to suit him.

6) In what setup does he usually flourish? Gayle played well when he lined up alongside Glenn Murray, a holding centre-forward kind of player. He also seemed to work well with Connor Wickham in the few games they played together. He works well in a partnership with another striker.

7) What is he like, personality wise? The word is that he’s a shy, unassuming type of player. Tony Pulis felt he wasn’t mentally strong enough and became a bit withdrawn in his first season – indicative of a player who didn’t really have the confidence to make that step up. The fact he hasn’t played as much as he probably should have suggests that too. He seems to get on well with his teammates though and, when the club have held community and social events, he’s been in attendance.

8) Is there anything else you think Newcastle fans should know? If the above comes across as negative, it shouldn’t. Dwight is a great player that just didn’t work out. He has an abundance of ability but he just needs the right place to really thrive – and sadly that’s unlikely to be Selhurst Park. He’s given us some memorable moments and we wish him well at Newcastle United.

We’d like to thank FYPFanzine for their time and insight into the abilities of Newcastle’s imminent second summer signing, Dwight Gayle.