Milan won’t pay for Sven Botman, Newcastle agrees initial fee for the youngster

Saucy reports are arriving in Tyneside on a daily basis regarding the potential signing of Sven Botman by Newcastle. This is nothing new, of course, as the Magpies have been chasing the Dutch and still-Lille-player Botman since last January, but the latest developments are putting the young prospect in a closer-than-ever position to arriving in Tyneside.

Newcastle United has reportedly agreed to a £30 initial fee for the defender as The Northern Echo reported on Sunday. Any potential deal with the French side Lille will undoubtedly include future payments and add-ons tucked into that initial agreement as the quoted price is much higher than that number.

Last week, The Northern Echo unveiled progress had been made in Newcastle’s pursuit and convincing of the defender to don black and white threads going forward. With a particular problem in place, though: the presence of Italian giants AC Milan—current champions of the Serie A—in the negotiations trying to poach the defender and snatch him from Lille before Newcastle could do so.

Now things have seemingly changed due to the asking price by Botman’s club. The French lads from Lille are seemingly looking for something approaching—probably even exceeding—£50 million The Northern Echo reported. That seems to be out of Milan’s range, which was willing to pay up to £30 million but nothing above that figure.

The 22-year-old Botman is not opposed to joining Newcastle knowing the club’s inevitable growth to come and future contention for European football and titles if the new owners are as legit as they claim to be, which indeed seems to be the case. Newcastle is wary of the presence of European powerhouses—the aforementioned AC Miland and PSG have been name-dropped in the rumor mill—following the defender and thus is trying to accelerate the negotiations to sign the Dutch as soon as possible.

Botman completed his international duties with the U21 Netherlands side this past weekend and both the player and the Magpies would like to clarify the future of the situation and close any potential agreement throughout this week with the transfer market now open for English clubs.

This case is very similar to that of Hugo Ekitike, the other flashy signing Newcastle will confirm in the next few days, as both the forward and Botman were close to joining Newcastle on loan and a permanent deal respectively last January only to find Hugo and Lille unwilling to accept the moves at the last possible second with doubts about Newcastle avoiding relegation still very present.

With Newcastle having secured their place in the Premier League and finally in a position as a club to only advance forward without having to look down the table and the bottom positions of it, players across the globe are now eager to join the Magpies in Tyneside and become part of the Toon Squad.