Newcastle United are confident of wrapping up a deal for Sven Botman in the coming days, according to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh.
What’s the latest Newcastle United transfer news?
At long last, Newcastle seem to have made a breakthrough in regard to one of their top targets.
The Lille defender was chased throughout the January transfer window and once again this summer, although talks with the French club are believed to have been difficult. A fee, however, has now been agreed and the Dutchman is due on Tyneside in the coming days to undergo a medical.
Personal terms are not thought to be a problem.
“NUFC are confident they will complete a deal for Sven Botman, with the Lille centre-back set to head to Tyneside in the coming days to undergo a medical & finalise a transfer,” wrote Waugh.
How much are Newcastle paying for Botman?
On the transfer fee front, there have been differing reports.
The Daily Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has consistently said Newcastle will pay £30m for the 22-year-old, although the likes of Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sports have suggested the fee could be higher than that.
Either way, given the club are said to have “held their nerve throughout negotiations” and not bowed down to what is seen as a “Newcastle tax”, which says so much about the way Newcastle are being run.
Indeed, the opening stages of the PIF era has not been defined by spending big merely for the sake of it. Clearly, that’s not guarantee of success, but it certainly does seem healthier than going out and trying to make a Robinho-type of signing straight away solely to make an empty statement about their financial strength.
What has Sven Botman said about joining Newcastle?
Speaking to Voetbal International in February, the former Ajax youngster said: “Newcastle is working on a great project and I thought it would be fun to be a part of it. Especially if you look at where Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain once started.”
