Tottenham and Manchester United will reportedly provide stiff competition to Newcastle United in the race to sign Sven Botman from LOSC Lille this summer.
According to a Italian journalist, Gianluca Di Marzio, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring Lille defender Sven Botman as a potential alternative to primary target Alessandro Bastoni.
In what amounts to a twist in the tale, AC Milan and Newcastle United have been targeting the defender for months now. But neither club deal have finalised the deal yet, which might backfire since two more English teams, Manchester United and Tottenham, have also entered the hunt for Botman.
Botman has made a name for himself as one of Europe’s most exciting young defenders at the moment thanks to his strong athletic and ball-playing attributes. The Dutch defender has astonished many with his rapid rise in France and has come leaps and bounds since leaving the Ajax Under-21s for Lille in 2020. The young Dutchman has lifted a French Super Cup and a Ligue 1 title in two years in France.
Needless to say, he has established himself as a vital cog in Les Dogues’ team. In the recently-concluded season, he appeared in 32 games across all competitions. After another impressive campaign, it is no mystery as to why Botman is in high demand for the upcoming summer transfer window.
The 22-year-old is under contract at the Stade Pierre Mauroy until June 2025 but has already made it clear that he will leave the French club when the transfer window opens this summer. Newcastle were among those looking to sign him in January and had multiple bids rejected by Lille.
AC Milan consequently took the lead in the for Botman, and have been the frontrunners for his signature. However, their deal for Botman is not yet over the line as they are unwilling to match Lille’s hefty asking price. It could result in a potential hijack from England with multiple clubs waiting in the wings to pounce.
Newcastle have funds thanks to their new owners and are planning to bolster their squad in every position. But they are still in the early stages of their project and some way off from competing with the elite.
Tottenham are a different beast altogether under the guidance of Antonio Conte. Now that they have Champions League football and a cash injection from the owners, Conte is seeking to improve the quality in the left-centre-back position. Ben Davies has done well in the role, but he is not a natural in the position. Botman, a left-footed central defender, matches the profile and also possesses a winning mindset.
Manchester United, meanwhile, need a major defensive overhaul under new manager Erik Ten Hag, having shipped in 57 goals from 38 games last term, more than the likes of relegated Burnley and newly-promoted Brentford.
To that end, a host of centre-backs, including Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni, Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, and Ajax’s Jurrien Timber have been linked with a move to Old Trafford. Botman has now also joined the long list with ten Hag understood to be an admirer of the Netherlands international. It would be interesting to see whether these hijack reports have any substance in them or not.
