What does reported Bas Dost chase mean for Cenk Tosun at Everton?

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Reports suggest Everton are considering a move for prolific Sporting Clube de Portugal forward Bas Dost.

Dutch outlet AD reported on Monday morning that Everton are tracking Sporting striker Bas Dost.

Dost is undoubtedly an exciting proposition for Everton fans, although it does ask one question in particular: what happens to Cenk Tosun?

The Turkish forward arrived in January from Besiktas as a much-needed goal threat for the Toffees. He may have finished the season a little slowly, but five goals with only 12 Premier League starts is a solid record – especially in a team as toxically unimaginative as Sam Allardyce’s Everton.

And that’s the real problem here; Tosun was an Allardyce signing for an Allardyce side. They’re no longer that, so where does his future lie?

Both Tosun and Dost play somewhat similar roles. Finishers, they’re not so invested in build up or defensive contributions and are instead there to make the most of the chances presented to them. Create little and they will give you as much as they can, create lots and they can be prolific – their records prove that.

Whether they could play together looks quite doubtful, considering they play the same role and look for similar openings on the pitch. A system with dual goal poachers isn’t one that’s seen very often, if at all, anymore and asking one to play deeper seems like a strange move when better-suited players are available, such as Gylfi Sigurdsson.

There would be incredible strength in depth, of course. Two prolific goalscorers, able to cover each other and never leaving Everton short of a goal threat. That sounds brilliant but doesn’t really feel like a priority for the club; Everton aren’t in Europe and it’s the first team that needs money spent on it – not squad depth in one position.

And so perhaps this is Marco Silva showing a lack of faith in Tosun compared to how he sees Dost. If the reports are true, perhaps Tosun is looking at a super-sub role next year – or maybe even somewhere new.