Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Newcastle United will try and sign Sven Botman again this summer.
The Dutch defender was heavily linked with a transfer to Newcastle throughout the January window.
However, the towering centre-back remains at Lille.
The Magpies lodged a number of offers to bring Botman to St James’s Park, the largest of which was £33 million [Calciomercato].
However, reliable Italian journalist Romano has revealed via his podcast that Newcastle were even prepared to go as high as £42 million but the French champions were adamant that he wasn’t for sale.
He told his Here We Go podcast: “Botman will still be a target in the summer, AC Milan and Newcastle are really focused on this player, Sven Botman, so will be a huge one to watch in the summer.
“Also because as revealed on the Deadline Day podcast we did, Newcastle, in the final four or five days of the window, they were prepared to offer €50m to Lille and he was still not for sale.”
It was a rough first few months for Saudi Public Investment Fund as Newcastle’s primary owners, along with Amanda Staveley and the Reuben Brothers.
However, the project on Tyneside is certainly taking shape.
Newcastle beat Everton 3-1 in midweek to escape the Premier League relegation zone and with their January recruits – Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn – it wouldn’t be a shock if Eddie Howe’s outfit continue to kick on.
The likelyhood of United being relegated seems relatively remote now, meaning that a summer transfer for Botman seems pretty realistic.
No doubt the Netherlands Under-21 international will still have substantial suitors, ready to pay massive money.
But according to Romano, Newcastle are definitely among them.
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