Newcastle United are reportedly now leading the race to sign Sven Botman this summer.
The Lowdown: January failure
It was reported that the St. James’ Park faithful had made a bid for Botman in the January transfer window, before they signed Dan Burn from Brighton and Hove Albion instead.
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He did not end up leaving Lille despite interest also from Milan, and other clubs have now joined the race for his signature in the summer.
The Latest: Newcastle in pole
As per Football Insider, the North East club are now in ‘pole position’ to sign Botman for around £30m.
He has already agreed personal terms with them, and is ‘keen’ to play for them in the Premier League.
Despite also agreeing personal terms with Milan, the Tyneside outfit are now ‘confident’ that he will accept their contract offer.
The Verdict: No-brainer
If the Magpies have a chance of signing Botman this summer, then it is surely a no-brainer.
They have already seen the gems that they can unearth by dipping into the French market, having already signed Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon, and Botman is another player that is thought of very highly in Ligue 1, as per his agent Francesco Miniero, who has labelled him as a ‘golden boy’.
Miniero also points out that Botman is ‘one of the strongest central defenders in the world’, emphasised by the 2.8 aerial duels won per game in the UEFA Champions League this season, among the best in that category for centre-backs.
It is crazy to think that the Netherlands international is still only 22 years of age, and so Botman could be a mainstay in Eddie Howe’s team for years to come.
In other news, find out which three positions NUFC will now ‘target’ this summer here!
