Leeds United are the front-runners to sign Newcastle striker Callum Wilson, talkSPORT understands.
Wilson’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season, although Newcastle have the option to trigger a one-year extension.
However, it is understood the Magpies will allow Wilson to leave for free if he is given the chance to play first-team football elsewhere.
Wilson has featured 20 times for Newcastle in all competitions this term, but has registered just one goal, which came in the FA Cup.
Of those 20 appearances, he has started only twice.
The 33-year-old’s season has largely been derailed by back and hamstring injuries.
In the programme prior to Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Chelsea last Sunday, Wilson labelled the campaign as ‘one of my worst’.
“For me, it’s been a mixed campaign,” Wilson wrote.
“As a collective, it’s been one of the best campaigns and teams I’ve been a part of – yet individually, it’s been one of my worst seasons.
“I haven’t scored in the Premier League this season, which for me is unheard of. But I know there’s a goal in there somewhere.
“You have to be ready to grasp your opportunity when it comes and I am certain that over the next three games I will have a big part to play.”
Wilson’s wretched run with fitness problems continued a familiar theme from his 2023/24 campaign in which Wilson missed 23 games due to a mix of injury and illness.
Prior to that season, Wilson proved why Newcastle forked out an estimated £20million for his services in September 2020 as he slammed home 18 goals from 31 league fixtures.
Wilson’s impressive haul saw him finish fourth in the golden boot race that season and ahead of the likes of Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka to name just three.
It also helped fire Newcastle to a fourth-place finish as they qualified for the Champions League.
Injuries aside, Wilson has found himself stuck behind Alexander Isak in the pecking order at St James’ Park over the last two seasons.
Isak has been in imperious form having netted 25 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions for the Toon last term.
The Swede picked up right where he left off and has 23 league goals to his name with two fixtures remaining as Eddie Howe‘s side close in on a Champions League return.
GettyIsak’s incredible form has kept Wilson out of Newcastle’s starting line-up[/caption]
Leeds will look to bolster their attacking options as they look to avoid an instant return to the Championship.
The Yorkshire outfit secured automatic promotion as they won the Championship with an almighty total of 100 points.
Joel Piroe played a starring role in the promotion as he netted 19 league goals, a figure that was good enough to win him the Championship’s golden boot.
However, the 25-year-old’s 19-goal haul is the lowest amount to have won the golden boot since the 1992/93 season.
The previous record for fewest goals required to win the golden boot in the Championship belonged to Marlon King and Matej Vydra, who scored 21 goals for Watford and Burnley in 2005/06 and 2017/18 respectively.
