Chelsea have joined the race to sign Lille centre-back Sven Botman and will rival Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur for his signature.
According to 90 min, Chelsea have joined a long list of clubs who are interested in signing LOSC Lille’s Dutch centre-back Sven Botman. But the Blues will have to fend off interest from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur for his signature.
The 22-year-old defender is reportedly a top target for Serie A champions AC Milan, who are believed to be the favourites for his signature. Botman, too, is inclined towards a move to Italy to play for the Rossoneri. But the Serie A side are yet to agree on terms with Lille, which has allowed other clubs to step in.
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain have also entered the race and have established contact with Lille over a possible move. Luis Campos, PSG’s sporting director, spent three years at Lille between 2017 and 2020 and is a big fan of Botman.
He is hoping to use his contacts at Lille to get the transfer through the line. Campos has reportedly alerted the Lille hierarchy over PSG’s interest in the 22-year-old defender. But PSG may have to face competition from England as well for the Dutchman, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham among his suitors.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been monitoring Botman for some time now, and Chelsea have now seemingly joined the race. Even Newcastle United, who tried to get Botman on board in the January transfer window, are again showing interest in the defender.
As far as Chelsea are concerned, they are set to lose a host of defenders, including two first-choice centre-backs. While Antonio Rudiger has completed his move to Real Madrid, Andreas Christensen has reportedly agreed on personal terms with Barcelona.
This has left Thomas Tuchel short-handed in the central defensive department, and they are eager to sign more than just one centre-back this summer. Chelsea are believed to be closing in on a deal for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde but remain interested in other options as well.
PSG’s Marquinhos, who played under Thomas Tuchel in Paris, is the latest defender to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. But with Manchester United, Tottenham, Newcastle United and several other clubs also tailing Botman, Chelsea will have to push the button quickly.
