Liverpool face stiff competition from Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan in the pursuit of LOSC Lille centre-back Sven Botman.
According to an exclusive report from France Football, Sven Botman is set for an interesting summer transfer window, having been courted by a host of top clubs across Europe including Liverpool. Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur have also expressed their desire to secure his services in the summer.
Although the report does refute earlier claims of Spurs convincing the player and his representatives to join north London in the summer, they do suggest that the Lilywhites are set to go all out in the pursuit of the LOSC Lille star, who has emerged as one of the top defenders in Ligue 1 this term.
Indeed, the Dutchman has been an ever-present figure in the Lille backline, creating a formidable defensive partnership alongside Jose Fonte. Their collective contributions at the heart of the backline have helped the club emerge as one of the top contenders for the Ligue 1 title this campaign.
As a result, the former Ajax youngster was closely watched by Liverpool in the January transfer window. But with the defender just joining Lille last summer, the move was difficult to materialise as the Reds eventually settled for a loan deal to sign FC Schalke’s Ozan Kabak.
? “He’s a top player. When he first arrived, I wasn’t expecting this level of quality.”
? “He’s composed, he’s mature for his age. He likes to defend.”
? “It doesn’t surprise me that teams like #LFC want him.”
Jose Fonte sings the praises of Lille teammate Sven Botman pic.twitter.com/5HpdJeGU3v
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) February 15, 2021
The Premier League giants, though, are keen on further bolstering their defensive options in the summer amid an injury crisis that has seen the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez spend the majority of the campaign on the sidelines.
Botman, in that regard, could be a viable option given his game-reading abilities as well as his pace that tune in well with Jurgen Klopp’s style of play. Standing at 1.95m, the Dutchman also has an imposing presence and is unsurprisingly quite dominant in the air – qualities that should certainly appeal to Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese tactician is desperate to add some defensive options at his disposal, following the poor performances of Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier in recent weeks. In addition, Toby Alderweireld is nearing the final phase of his career – thus accentuating the need for a new centre-back.
The Lilywhites, though, are mere outsiders in the race to sign Botman as they are unlikely to qualify for Europe next season. Liverpool could also run that risk if they fail to recover their poor run of form, so it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga takes shape in the upcoming summer transfer window.