Newcastle United fans believe the club have resigned themselves to relegation after reportedly offering Dwight Gayle a new three-year deal.
The Magpies ' striker is one of several players that are out of contract this summer.
Gayle has struggled for first-team minutes this season due to injury and has largely been unfavoured since the club returned to the Premier League in 2017.
The Athletic report that Gayle has signed a new three-year deal on reduced terms, which will tie him to Newcastle until 2024, despite the striker being 31 already.
Gayle is a proven striker at Championship level and Newcastle's commitment to the former Crystal Palace forward has been interpreted by the fans as a resignation that the club will be playing second-tier football next season.
The report claims that Newcastle believe that it would cost them more to replace a player of Gayle's pedigree than to sign him up, as a result of the pandemic.
A new contract also protects Gayle's value, should the club avoid relegation and choose to sell the striker, given Newcastle accepted a £12million bid from West Brom for his services two years ago, though the striker declined the move.
Gale has made only two Premier League starts for Newcastle this season and has totalled under 300 minutes in total, scoring one goal.
The strikers is also said to have agreed to reduced terms in order to extend his stay at St James' Park and remains a useful member of Steve Bruce's squad.
