According to Calciomercato, Newcastle are going to submit an official bid for Lille defender Sven Botman very soon, causing a blow to AC Milan.
What’s the story?
Well, it sounds as if Newcastle could win this transfer battle with AC Milan quite easily.
Calciomercato believe Lille have slapped a €35m (£29.8m) price tag on Botman, which Newcastle can afford to pay with ease.
However, the budget does not stretch that far for AC Milan.
Calciomercato claim that the Premier League is Botman’s most likely destination, with a January move now looking set to happen.
The global pandemic has seriously dented the finances of clubs across Europe, but not so much for those in the Premier League.
As a result, the Magpies – languishing 19th in the Premier League – are able to pinch one of the best players in Ligue 1, and also fend off a European giant in AC Milan.
We’re certainly living in strange times, to say the least.
Newcastle will have a task to convince Sven Botman
After the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) and Amanda Staveley arrived with their riches, agreeing a fee with a club usually won’t be a problem for Newcastle.
However, convincing the player to join – especially in Newcastle’s current situation – is going to be difficult.
For example, Barcelona glovesman Marc-Andre ter Stegen is a target for the Magpies, but SPORT believe he has concerns about the lack of structure at St James’ Park.
In Botman’s case, he is in the Last 16 of the Champions League with Lille, so Eddie Howe has a task on his hands to convince the Dutchman to swap that for a relegation scrap.
Having said that, money talks, and Newcastle have lots of it.
Keep an eye on this saga, with a bid set to be submitted soon.
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