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News
Report: Newcastle make £40m defender a ‘priority’, Howe approves of his arrival
that Newcastle United have made signing Lille defender Sven Botman a ‘priority’ with Eddie Howe approving of a move to land the Netherlands Under-21 centre-back.
Botman, 21, is regarded as one of the best players in his position in European football at the moment. Joining Lille from Ajax in the summer of 2020, he guided Lille to a Ligue 1 title – beating PSG.
This season has not gone to plan as much, with the defender sidelined with a groin injury – missing six league games, and three more in the Champions League. Lille are desperate to keep him.
But with many French clubs at the moment, the financial situation is dire and Lille might be forced into a sale. Sources have told The Athletic that Lille would accept offers in the region of £40million.
The recruitment drive, currently tasked to head of recruitment Steve Nickson, is also receiving input from Howe. The ex-Bournemouth gaffer is said to ‘approve’ of a move for Botman ahead of January.
Botman to Newcastle: Interest in Lille star a sign of things to come
It looks as if Newcastle’s new owners have learned from mistakes in the past. When Manchester City were the subject of a big-money takeover, they looked to bring Robinho, Kaka and other big names.
That ultimately, failed to work, until they started to build slowly and add depth – players with Premier League experience and younger players to provide the foundations for the club going forward.
Botman would be ideal for Newcastle. Not only is he just 21, but the Toon also need a centre-back and he is already an improvement on what Howe has at his disposal. He would be a sensational first signing.
