Fulham to make fresh attempt to sign Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle

Fulham are reportedly primed to revive their pursuit of Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle as manager Rafa Benitez strives to raise transfer funds in a bid to ensure the Magpies' Premier League status.

Gayle was the subject of interest from the Whites last summer and was close to swapping the north east for west London in a deal worth around £15m ($20.8m), but Newcastle's failure to draft in an adequate replacement put paid to his chances of moving to Craven Cottage.

Fulham did sign two strikers in the summer but neither Rui Fonte or Aboubakar Kamara have been able to put forward a convincing case that they should be tasked with leading Slavisa Jokanovic's side's attack, though the latter has managed to plunder four goals in his last three league matches.

Fonte and Kamara's lack of conviction has led Jokanovic to look elsewhere, and he expects the Fulham hierarchy to provide him with the three players he believes he needs to sustain a push for the play-offs, with automatic promotion seemingly off the cards due to the imperious form of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Derby County.

The need for a new centre-forward has led Fulham to reignite their interest in Newcastle's Gayle, according to the Northern Echo, and Benitez may see fit to part with the former Crystal Palace forward, who has scored three league goals this season, in order to raise funds for players he believes will help consolidate the Geordies' position in England's top-flight.

One of the players on Benitez's radar could well be Fulham playmaker Tom Cairney, who is being courted by fellow relegation strugglers West Bromwich Albion. The former Blackburn Rovers and Hull City midfielder was pursued by Newcastle last year but Fulham saw fit to reject an offer of £20m from the Magpies for their captain, who signed a new long-term contract in the summer.

Newcastle could attempt to agree a swap deal with Fulham, which would see Gayle and Cairney swap places, but the Cottagers have no interest in losing any of their key players this month and will fight to keep the likes of Cairney, Ryan Sessegnon and Ryan Fredericks in the capital until the end of the season at least.