Why Swapping Mitrovic And Bas Dost Would Be Ideal For Newcastle United
Newcastle United were crowned the champions of the EFL Championship when they defeated Barnsley 3-0 on the final day of the season, at the St. James’ Park. The Magpies were 2nd in the table, going into the match. But with Brighton & Hove Albion slipping up, manager Rafael Benitez has added another title to his already impressive CV.
Having already sealed promotion back to Premier League two weeks back, this comes as more good news for Newcastle as they have managed to achieve their way back to the top flight in style with a title triumph.
However, Newcastle cannot afford to rest on their laurels right now as a bigger challenge lies ahead in the form of Premier League football. The Tyneside outfit, without a doubt, had the best squad in the second-tier of English football this season, which allowed them to dominate the competition for large phases over the course.
But there remain certain question marks over the suitability and the ability of this squad to be able to make the cut in the Premier League. Benitez will be very much aware of the fact that there’s a lot of work to be done in the summer transfer window, if his side are to put up a strong showing on their return. There are many key areas on the field that will need strengthening in the summer for the Magpies, one of those being the centre-forward position.
Newcastle brought in Dwight Gayle from Crystal Palace last summer and the Englishman has delivered brilliantly for his new employers in his debut season, scoring 23 goals from 32 Championship games. However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the Magpies have been over-reliant on the 26-year old to deliver the goods up front more often than not. Considering his not so excellent record in the Premier League with the Eagles before, bringing in a replacement makes sense.
One striker who has been heavily linked with a move to the St. James’ Park in recent years is Bas Dost. The Dutchman was a subject of heavy interest for the Tyneside outfit last summer and as per reports from Daily Chronicle, Newcastle tried to bring in the striker when he was at German side Vfl Wolfsburg. However, he instead chose to sign for Portuguese outfit Sporting Lisbon.
The 27-year old has been scoring goals for fun for Sporting in his debut season in Lisbon. A return of 34 goals and 6 assists from 41 appearances across all competitions will certainly have left Benitez ruing over his side’s failure to sign him last year. But considering that Newcastle are back among the big boys next season, they should once again consider a swoop for the former Wolfsburg striker.
While any potential deal could involve a lot of money, Newcastle can look to sweeten the deal by sending one of their own players the other way and that player being Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbian has struggled to find his best form at St. James’ Park, but remains of interest in Europe due to his natural abilities.
Having signed from Anderlecht in the summer of 2015, Mitrovic did not enjoy the best of the starts in the Premier League as he was marred by inconsistency and disciplinary problems, finishing his first season with just 9 goals and 4 assists. The 22-year old has fared much poorer this time around, scoring just 6 goals from 29 games across all competitions.
Mitrovic is talented and has the potential, but hasn’t been able to translate it into performances with Newcastle. Maybe a move away from the Tyneside will allow him to recapture his goal scoring touch.
Bringing in Dost, who at the point is a top marksman in Europe and sending out Mitrovic, who has been unable to reach the heights expected of him, will surely turn out to be a shrewd piece of business if Newcastle manage to get it done in the summer.