Newcastle Close In On Dutch Signature

Newcastle United Preferred Media Partner The Mirror have suggested that the club and new manager Steve McClaren are on the verge of completing the first signing of the summer.  While we were meant to believe that the first signing would be QPR's Charlie Austin, it seems that it may in fact be Bas Dost who is the first in the door.  Dost has been linked with Newcastle before and is a relatively hot commodity having scored 19 goals in all competitions for Wolfsburg in the Budesliga this past season.

At 6' 5", the Dutchman would bring some teeth to a set-piece arsenal that included Mike Williamson and Mike Williamson with an alternate idea of Mike Williamson over the past several years.  He is not just an aerial threat, however, as he is well skilled with the ball at his feet.  He's adept at finding space through opposing defenses in the same ways that we're accustomed to seeing opposing strikers do against us these days... which would be a welcome departure to be sure.  Here is a video that gives you an idea of his skill and ability (as well as addressing some of the difficulties that Adam addressed in his writeup of NUFC transfer targets).

It does bear noting that he has looked really really nice this year with Kevin de Bruyne and André Schürrle pumping in the crosses that he was dealing with and he would decidedly not have that same quality providing him service at Newcastle, although Siem de Jong, Rolando Aarons, and Remy Cabella could provide him suitable balls.  At a reported £9m fee, it feels like a transfer that would be beneficial to Newcastle and McClaren.