Bas Dost is truly available for Newcastle United this summer

The Dutch international has long been linked with Newcastle United, but is St. James Park really the right fit?

Following the May attack on Sporting Lisbon’s training ground by dozens of violent supporters, four players including Bas Dost have unsurprisingly cancelled their contracts with the club.

The Dutchman suffered a nasty head wound and was understandably reluctant to continue playing for the club, although he did feature in Sporting’s embarrassing 2-1 Portuguese Cup Final defeat to minnows Aves in which he was evidently still affected by the assault, missing an open goal from only five yards out.

Despite this uncharacteristic miss, Dost has been prolific in the Primeira Liga, notching an incredible 61 goals in 61 games for Sporting during his two years at the club. At 29 years old, he is perhaps too old to fit Benitez’s project, as Newcastle entered last season with the second youngest squad in the Premier League with an average age of only 25.7 years old. However, Dost’s style of play has never been reliant on pace, and given the club’s current striking options you could argue Toon fans don’t have the luxury of being picky when it comes to the signing of a proven goalscorer.

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A towering figure standing at 6 feet 5 inches tall, Dost is an unorthodox forward in that he is both a strong target man and more notably an excellent poacher. The latter has been largely his role at Sporting, where Dost will spend large portions of a match contributing little to an overall team game. Instead of using his height and strength to bring teammates into play he is tasked only with scoring goals, and if his goal record doesn’t speak for itself an even more glaring statistic has since surfaced.

When Dost scored against Primeira League opponents Belenenses in April this year, he broke a remarkable streak of 45 consecutive goals each scored with only one touch of the ball. Of course this tally of first-time finishes includes penalties, but it’s clear that for Dost to succeed he needs first-rate service from his teammates and must play in a system that carries him without the ball.

For this reason it seems unlikely that Dost would be a fit for Benitez’s system. Last season we saw Rafa overcome the potential limitations of the squad with a team-orientated approach to defense, with every outfield player including the striker responsible for pressing the opposition and following strict tactical instructions.

Benitez’s go-to response , when questioned on the poor goalscoring form of Newcastle’s strikers, was to praise their defensive contributions, and there’s no doubt that Dost would be incapable of following this approach. Sporting had the luxury of being one of the best team’s in their division with liberty to play a more expansive game, whereas Newcastle have found greater success in a more defensive style that is reliant on both a team work ethic but also the pace of players such as Ayoze Perez spearheading counter attacks.

There’s also the hurdle of Dost’s high wage demands that could render the move over before footballing concerns are even considered. Newcastle took a huge financial gamble during their Championship promotion season that resulted in a historically large wage bill, and knowing Mike Ashley as most Toon fans do there will be pressure from the club’s hierarchy to avoid putting pen to paper on anymore expensive contracts.

Dost could absolutely score goals in the Premier League, but unless Benitez signals a complete change in Newcastle’s tactical approach there’s little chance the Dutchman will find a home on Tyneside.

Even though there were rumours that Benitez froze out Aleksandar Mitrovic on the basis that he was a poor tactical fit, that’s not to say that the club isn’t looking for a powerful forward to lead the line next season. There’s been interest expressed in relegated West Brom striker Salomon Rondon who is much more of a target man than a pace merchant, and the Venezuelan seems more of a realistic target than Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford unless a loan deal can be agreed.

If there’s something that could sway the club towards Dost it’s his free agent status, and there’s a good chance that the Dutchman will be looking for a drastic change in scenery given how dramatically his stint in Portugal ended. Presumably, with no transfer fee, Dost’s high wages would be far less of a problem, but Ashley’s tight purse strings alongside the poor tactical fit ultimately make this move an unlikely one.

We will undoubtedly hear more news on Dost in the near future, as clinical goalscorers available on free transfers are a rarity in modern football. Nonetheless, Newcastle should think carefully before making a move for a striker this transfer window. The club must sign the right player, otherwise, it could be another year of disappointment for those goal-hungry Toon fans come next season.