OPINION
There is one striker who Newcastle fans seem to have forgotten about this summer.
Bas Dost is a bona fide goal machine, who scored 34 goals last season. And that wasn’t a fluke – he scored 37 the season before.
The former Dutch international has scored goals wherever he’s gone – 52 in 73 for SC Heerenveen, 48 in 177 for Wolfsburg and currently an incredible 70 in 90 for Sporting.
He signed for Sporting for £11million two years ago and would likely go for a lot more today, but his situation is complicated and it could play into the hands of Newcastle.
Dost is one of the Sporting players who has cancelled his contract with Sporting after a training ground attack by fans.
His contractual situation might be complicated but he could be currently available for free. At worst he might be allowed to leave in a cut-price deal, with Sporting keen to cash in on players, or for compensation.
If Benitez can land him, he’ll have a striker who can terrorise Premier League defences, and he can get Ashley to sign off on the wages because of the small fee.
The Chronicle recently reported that Newcastle were not going to follow-up on their long-running interest in the player, after Sport Witness claimed they had tabled a massive £35,1million bid for him last summer.
The report said that Newcastle were worried about the possibly bureaucracy surrounding the deal.
However, with other striker targets seemingly nowhere near, and the start of the new season fast approaching, now is the time to reach out and talk to Dost, and even Sporting, in a bid to find a solution that suits all sides.
Dost would surely relish the opportunity to test himself in the Premier League and Newcastle would benefit from a giant of a striker who has scored 195 goals in 370 games.
