‘Watch for Newcastle’: Jim White claims defender has hinted his teammate could join Newcastle

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Newcastle United want Sven Botman and fans have been given hope after Lille teammate Jose Fonte seemingly hinted at a potential move.

The Magpies have secured the signing of Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope this evening, marking a major addition to the Newcastle setup.

Eddie Howe will want more signings though and a centre back is high on Newcastle’s wish list.

Dan Burn arrived in January and whilst that seemed to fill the role of left-sided centre back in Howe’s back four.

Yet Newcastle continue to be linked with another left-footed centre back in Lille star Botman.

Newcastle United want Sven Botman

Newcastle wanted Botman in the January transfer window and Amanda Staveley claimed that the Dutchman was desperate to join the Magpies.

Botman, 22, came through the Ajax ranks before heading to Lille in 2020 as a replacement for now-Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

Now one of the top centre backs in French football, Botman is back on Newcastle’s wish list.

Sky Italia reporter Gianluca Di Marzio even claims that Lille are telling Botman to accept a move to Newcastle for €45million (£38.5million).

Botman is still wanted by AC Milan though and this transfer saga doesn’t show any signs of ending soon.

Newcastle fans were given hope of a deal on Wednesday though as Botman’s fellow Lille defender Jose Fonte spoke to TalkSPORT.

Fonte mostly spoke about the likes of Nayef Aguerd and Fabio Vieira after their moves to the Premier League.

After the interview had finished, Jim White claimed that Fonte had told him off-air to ‘keep an eye’ on Botman to Newcastle this summer.

White noted that Milan seem to be dropping out of the race and Fonte seems to think that Newcastle could be the destination for his teammate Botman.

“Just finally, just a bit of information as we crack on, it seemed that for Jose’s team compatriot at Lille, Sven Botman, highly fancied defender, it was a toss-up between Milan and Newcastle,” said White.

“Now Milan seem to have dropped out of the race, watch for Newcastle on that one he tells us,” he added.

It’s a throwaway piece of information from White and Botman but it may just be enough to give Newcastle fans hope of a big deal.