Everton Opinion: Toffees should pounce on the chance to sign Bas Dost
According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton target from the previous summer, Bas Dost is set to be available for a fee of just £10million this time around, with Sporting Lisbon’s reduced price handing the Toffees a massive boost should they opt to reignite their interest in the Dutchman.
Everton are supposedly in the market for a new centre-forward this summer, having struggled with their No.9 options in the Premier League the last term.
Lack of a prolific striker upfront proved to be a massive stumbling block in Marco Silva’s pursuit of a top-six finish in the previous campaign, as Cenk Tosun largely underwhelmed with his displays in front of goal.
Youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin lit up the scene with glimpses of his brilliance and, whilst Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson both contributed with 13 goals apiece, the lack of a natural finisher and an efficient focal point of the attack was quite apparent.
Everton registered impressive victories over the likes of Man United, Arsenal and Chelsea but they just didn’t have enough firepower in their attack to break the top-six lock and make a return to the European front.
The Toffees have already splashed the cash to sign Barcelona loanee Andre Gomes permanently following the Portuguese international’s successful loan spell at Goodison Park the last term.
Fabian Delph has also been brought in from Man City to add extra cover in central midfield, whilst goalkeeper Jonas Lossl has arrived on a free transfer from Huddersfield Town as an understudy to Jordan Pickford.
Well, all the above transfer dealings certainly make sense for Everton but they are yet to resolve their conundrum in front of goal by the acquisition of a prolific centre-forward.
And that is exactly the reason why the Toffees should reignite their interest in Bas Dost, who has been racking up goals for fun at Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese top-flight.
The 30-year-old Dutchman gobbled up 23 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions for Sporting Lisbon this past season, thus capping off yet another prolific campaign with the Portuguese heavyweights.
While those numbers from the previous campaign definitely look impressive on paper, Dost actually struggled to replicate his exploits in the recent past, having plundered 37 and 34 goals over the course of 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons respectively.
As a matter of fact, the Dutchman boasts of an incredible record of 93 goals in 123 appearances for Sporting Lisbon, a strike rate which comes to almost a goal every game.
Turn the clock back to Dost’s earlier days in the Bundesliga at Wolfsburg and the readings look equally impressive, given that the striker managed to find the net on 48 occasions in 117 appearances over the course of four seasons.
To put things into perspective, it doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure out that the acquisition of Bas Dost would help Everton improve massively in the final third next season. And it is a no-brainer that a striker of his calibre would be an absolute bargain for a fee of around £10 million.
Standing at 6ft. 5 inches with a towering frame, Dost’s arrival would provide Marco Silva with a much-needed focal point in his forward line, thus allowing the more technically-gifted players like Richarlison, Bernard and Sigurdsson to have a greater impact on the game.
Adept at holding on to the ball to bring his teammates into the game, the Dutchman could add another dimension to Everton’s attack with his smart link-up play and obvious physicality, whilst also providing a genuine aerial threat from crosses and set-pieces.
A bonafide goalscorer and a clinical finisher with both feet and head, the former Dutch international would definitely bring that cutting-edge to the attack with his natural finishing abilities and poaching instincts.
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He hasn’t played in the Premier League before but making a move to England at a ripe stage of his career should help him acclimatise quickly to the new surroundings.
Verdict
Everton should reignite their interest in Bas Dost and go all out to land their former target this summer in a bid to challenge for a top-six finish in the Premier League next term.