Monday, December 6, 2021 at 11:41 am• Jordi Tomasowa • Last update: 11:53

Newcastle United have made Sven Botman their main transfer target, reports say The Athletic. The center defender of Lille OSC is seen as exceptional offer and should provide the relegation candidate with more defensive security this winter. Botman’s name was previously explicitly associated with Liverpool, but that transfer never got off the ground. Botman has a contract with Lille until 2025, which means that Newcastle will have to come up with a considerable amount.

Ever since the Magpies Having fallen into the hands of wealthy owners through a takeover, the club is associated with star players such as Phillipe Coutinho, Timo Werner and Niklas Sule. Botman’s name has now also been added. According to the generally highly regarded Athletic-journalist David Ornstein, Botman is seen by Newcastle United as one of the most promising young central defenders in Europe and the Premier League club is looking to make a bid to sign the Dutch mandekker in January.Les Dogues prefer not to sell their defender until the summer, but if an ‘exceptional offer’ is made in January, they are willing to talk about a possible transfer.

The Athletic suggests that a bid of around £47million could be enough for Newcastle United to bring Botman to the North East of England. The club had already conceded 30 goals in 15 league games this season and is looking for a defensive leader who can strengthen the team in January. Last Saturday, Newcastle United only registered their first league win of the season against Burnley. With ten points from fifteen matches, the team of trainer Eddie Howe is currently nineteenth in the Premier League.

Botman made the switch from Ajax to Lille in the summer of 2020 and immediately became a permanent fixture at the French club, which surprisingly became champion of Ligue 1 last season. This season, the performances have been disappointing with an eleventh place. The defender made his comeback against Stade Rennes (1-2) last week after almost two months of absence. Botman was out for some time with a thigh injury, which he sustained in October during a game against the Dutch Juniors.