Barcelona are reportedly weighing up a potential move for 21-year-old Dutch defender Sven Botman, as they eye reinforcements at the back.
According to a reports by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Sven Botman is the subject of interest from Barcelona over a move in a future transfer window. The 21-year-old Dutch defender is one of five centre-backs on the radar of the Blaugrana as they look to solidify their central defensive arsenal.
Sven Botman joined Lille from Ajax last summer and has since gone on to establish himself as a key figure for the Ligue 1 giants. Having previously failed to make a mark for the Dutch heavyweights, the youngster’s performances for Les Dogues did come as a bit of a surprise, as he played a critical role in their Ligue 1 triumph last season.
To date, Botman has made 53 appearances for Lille while chipping in with a goal and an assist apiece along the way. His progress in the past year or so has not gone unnoticed, with some of the biggest clubs in the world already getting linked heavily with him in recent times. And the latest prospect suitor for the 21-year-old are Barcelona.
Barcelona did bolster the heart of their defence this past summer by signing Eric Garcia on a free transfer. However, upon closer inspection, it is clear that the Catalan giants could do with another central defender, either in January or next summer.
That is because both Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti are becoming – or have already become – out of favour with Ronald Koeman, owing to a significant drop in performance levels. With either or both of the players likely to be sold in the coming windows, it is clear that signing a centre-back will soon become imperative for Barcelona.
To that end, Barcelona have been linked with a few central defenders already, including Aymeric Laporte, Matthijs de Ligt and Cristian Romero, with Botman emerging as a target as well. And in the case of the Dutch defender, he is a viable target due to his proficiency on the ball as well as solid defensive acumen.
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For now, Botman has popped up on Barcelona’s radar as one of the options they will look towards in their bid to bolster their central defensive ranks. What now remains to be seen is if the interest in the 21-year-old becomes more serious in the coming months.
