Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal is certain to address his attacking options in the coming summer transfer window. With Radamel Falcao not having the desired impact at Old Trafford and Robin Van Persie growing older with each passing day and plagued by injuries, United will be in the market to sign an outright centre forward.
The Red Devils have been linked with a move for young Palermo forward Paulo Dybala but the 21 year old will cost in the range of €30m. The Argentine has little experience and with the Premier League a different ball game all together, it could be a disaster if the player fails to adjust in excruciating conditions.
United could thus be better advised to move for 25 year old Wolfsburg striker Bas Dost. The player joined Wolfsburg in July 2012 from Dutch club Heerenveen and has represented the Netherlands at Under-21 level but is yet to play for the senior national team.
The Dutchman has been incredible form in the Bundesliga having scored 13 goals in 12 league appearances this term. Dost has an incredible conversion rate of 82%, having scored 9 goals with his last 10 shots.
Bas Dost missed a shot today for Wolfsburg. That leaves him with just 9 goals from his last 10 shots.
— Colin Trainor (@colinttrainor) March 1, 2015
The towering centre forward also has more calendar year goals (11) than Arjen Robben and Cristiano Ronaldo and is only eclipsed by Lionel Messi (12). What is more incredible is he alone has netted more than every Bundesliga side barring Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Scout Report: Dost has 16 goals and 2 assists in 17 appearances this season. The Dutchman stands at a towering 196 cm and is incredibly mobile given his size. An excellent modern day target man, he is aerially dominant and is adept at aiding the game play.
As the above goal map shows, Dost is a menace for any opposition, something United have missed since the days of Ruud Van Nistelrooy. However, he is not a great passer of the game despite being able to hold the ball well up front with his excellent body strength.
However, Dost doesn’t contribute much towards the defensive side of the game, something which Van Gaal would never approve of. At 25 though, he will certainly improve his game and there is always a room for improvement for his overall ability. With Kevin De Bruyne and Andre Schurrle behind him to feed passes in attacking positions, Dost’s overall game could thus be overlooked.
Dost is without a doubt the most in-form goalscorer in European football at this point of time. As a result, Wolfsburg hasn’t lost since November 27. Across all competitions, Dost has 18 appearances this season, and Wolfsburg has won 14 and drawn four.
United could well make a move for the player who would come cheap compared to others and with his best years ahead of him, Dost could a great signing for United.