Newcastle United have reignited their interest in signing Sporting Lisbon striker Bas Dost, according to AD.
The Dutch publication claim the north-east giants are keen on landing the forward and that he is likely to leave the Portugese outfit this summer after he was one of several players recently attacked at Sporting’s training ground by a group of supporters.
AD’s report that Newcastle and Everton are in hot pursuit of Dost comes a year after Portugese publication Jornal de Notícias reported in their print edition, as cited by Sport Witness, that Rafael Benitez’s side had lodged a £35.1million bid for him.
OPINION
Dost would be a brilliant signing for Newcastle. He recently turned 29 and only has a few more years left at the top but his goal scoring record is superb. At Sporting, he netted 34 times from 49 matches in the recently completed season and has 70 from 90 games in all competitions for the club. The giant centre-forward was equally prolific at his former clubs Wolfsburg and Heerenveen. It is encouraging for Newcastle and Dost’s other suitors that he is likely to transfer this summer. Understandably, the horrific attack from supporter-thugs has had a huge effect on the Dutchman and his teammates. Can Newcastle do a deal? There is certainly likely to be intense competition for the services of such a proven scorer. But the fee will be cheaper than it was a year ago, as the 18-times international now has just two years remaining on his contract, and Sporting could be forced into a sale due to the training-ground attack. Newcastle will still have to spend big to get him.
