It is no secret at this point that Lille defender Sven Botman was Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe’s number one target in the January transfer window.
The Dutchman, labelled as a ‘machine‘ by Jose Fonte, is among the best defenders in Ligue 1. He has been absolutely brilliant for Lille and it’s only a matter of time before he leaves France for a bigger club.
Newcastle United tried really hard to get a deal done, but Lille just wouldn’t budge. All of the Magpies’ offers were turned down, even the one on deadline day (CalcioMercato), which is why they had to move to their other targets.
Lille rejecting Newcastle’s offers were painful enough for Magpies fans, but Botman has now hinted that he was ready to move to St James’ Park had the two clubs agreed. That will surely hurt the Toon even more.
RONALDO NEEDS TO STOP WHINING.
Sven Botman: Newcastle are working on a great project
Botman was asked about Newcastle’s interest in him.
The defender called PIF’s project a great one, revealed that he would’ve liked to be a part of it and went on to tip the Magpies to do what Manchester City and PSG did after they were bought by wealthy owners from the middle east.
The Dutchman said, as per Voetbal International: “Newcastle is working on a great project and I thought it would be fun to be a part of it.
“Especially if you look at where Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain once started.”
TBR View:
Sven Botman would’ve been a fantastic signing for Newcastle.
The Dutchman, still only 22, stands at 6ft 5in tall and would’ve fit into the Premier League really well. His potential is massive and there’s a good chance he’ll go on to become one of the best defenders in the world in a few years time.
Newcastle may regret not signing Botman in January, but they’ll surely be among the interested parties in the summer – if they manage to avoid relegation.
Botman will definitely cost a fortune and a number of other clubs will likely join the race for his signature. However, Newcastle don’t have to fear anyone now and considering that the defender is already a fan of the project, it won’t be a surprise to see him agree to a move to Tyneside.
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