Newcastle United are making progress in their interest over the possibility of landing Lille centre-back Sven Botman.
This has been claimed by Newcastle correspondent Jordan Cronin, who has been speaking about all things transfer-related on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel.
There have been reports recently suggesting the Toon could now make a move for the Dutch defender amid suggestions of Milan’s waning confidence in landing him.
A number of clubs are said to be monitoring his situation, with Tottenham Hotspur also believed to have an eye on him, having seemingly missed out in their pursuit of Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni.
And Cronin believes the 22-year-old is now keen on a move to Tyneside, with the hope of this not becoming a saga that drags on into his summer holidays.
Speaking on Thursday, he said: “Over the last 24 hours, I do believe there has been progress on the Botman deal. Many expected him to be an AC Milan player by now, but I suppose the delay has given Newcastle hope, and I know that the player’s keen to get a move wrapped up before he heads into his holidays.
“He doesn’t want this to drag on for long, so if AC Milan continue to wait, then I have no doubt that Newcastle are ready to snap him up.
“And interestingly, this weekend as well, he is playing in Wales for the Dutch Under-21s. So who knows? You know, he’s only a flight away from Newcastle over in Wales, so it’s potentially a perfect opportunity for Newcastle to wrap up a deal. Obviously, that’s just dream thinking from my side.”
TIF Thoughts on Cronin’s comments…
This may certainly excite a number of Newcastle fans, with the youngster clearly a man in demand this summer, and could therefore prove to be a real coup for the Toon.
Do you think Botman will join this summer?
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Botman is clearly rated very highly, with interest coming from Champions League clubs, and we think acquiring a talent like the 22-year-old could be huge for Eddie Howe’s side.
The Dutchman already has a fair bit of experience and given he is just 22, he has the potential to become a mainstay in the Toon defence for years to come.
And at a reported fee of around £30m, it is not exactly a deal which feels as if Newcastle would be paying over the odds, with the likes of Diego Carlos going for similar money.