Newcastle United trail AC Milan in the race to sign reported transfer target Sven Botman with the Serie A side on pole for the LOSC Lille centre-back, according to Calciomercato.
The San Siro hierarchy are enamoured with the Dutch defender and consider him the ideal man to reinforce their backline. Stefano Pioli needs a new option in the core of his unit, as Simon Kjaer is out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on a knee injury.
Kjaer damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and needed the medial collateral ligament in his left knee reinserted. The 32-year-old was Pioli’s preferred partner for Fikayo Tomori in the Rossoneri backline, as they battle to clinch their 19th Scudetto and first since 2011.
However, while Milan are on pole for Botman, the Rossoneri face a complicated pursuit for a January transfer. Instead, they are mostly likely to target the 21-year-old from next June.
Newcastle land Botman transfer boost
AC Milan facing a difficult task to sign Botman in January hands Newcastle a boost to their transfer pursuit, then. Grand Hotel Calciomercato report the Dutch defender is among the Toon’s top winter targets, but their relegation fight will count against Eddie Howe’s side.
Lille will also only grant a mid-season transfer to Newcastle or Milan if a club is willing to pay €30m-40m (£25.5m-34m). And while Milan are currently on pole, his intermediaries have reached out to Juventus, Inter Milan and Napoli as Botman is ready for his next step.
Botman joined Lille from Ajax for €8m (£7m) last year after never playing a first-team game for the Dutch giants. He also helped Lille to beat PSG to the Ligue 1 title in his debut term.
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