Newcastle set to move for Burnley striker Andre Gray

Premier League-bound Newcastle United look set to launch a summer move for Burnley striker Andre Gray, according to reports (via The Chronicle).

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a fine campaign with the Clarets in the top-flight, bagging nine goals and laying on three assists in 32 league matches to help Sean Dyche’s men comfortably beat the drop for the first time in the Premier League era.

This adds to the 23 goals he netted in the Championship last season to help the Lancashire-based club reach the promised land, but with just one year left on his contract at Turf Moor, and having rejected an extension, the Clarets may look to sell their £8.5 million-rated striker (as per Transfermarkt) this summer to avoid losing him on a free next time round.

And this has reportedly interested Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle, who are on the lookout for reinforcements ahead of their return to the Premier League next season.

The Magpies clinched automatic promotion in their first campaign in the Championship by winning 29 of their 46 league games, and scoring a joint-league high 85 goals in the process.

However, other than top-scorer Dwight Gayle with 23, Benitez’s other forward options didn’t chip in a readily as he would have hoped, with Ayoze Perez, Daryl Murphy, and Aleksandar Mitrovic only adding a further 18 between them.

And, as a result, the Newcastle boss is looking to bolster his options with Premier League experience, and having done well in his first top-flight campaign, Gray could well be the answer as the Magpies look to be competitive in next season’s top tier.