In a recent report, Calciomercato stated that Newcastle United are pushing hard to recruit LOSC Lille defensive ace Sven Botman. It has been claimed that the Magpies are willing to offer the Dutch centre-back a lucrative contract this summer.
Botman’s Good Run Of Form In French Football
Botman was a rock at the back for Lille last season when he managed to perform at a high level for them on the defensive end of the field. The 22-year-old has been involved in 32 matches for the French club in the previous campaign, netting three goals and providing one assist in various competitions.
The Badhoevedorp-born talent has proven himself to be a solid presence when defending inside his half based on his average of 1.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 4.5 clearances per 90 minutes in Ligue 1. He has even been excellent when distributing possession from the back after making 88.1% of his attempted passes in the top tier of French football (stats via whoscored).
The 4th Official uses images provided by the following image agency:
Getty Images (https://www.gettyimages.de/)
Imago Images (https://www.imago-images.de/)
Is Botman A Decent Fit For Newcastle United?
Standing at 1.95m, Botman can use his strength to dominate the aerial battle against the opposition attackers. He can make himself big to clear the danger at the back and can time his tackles well to make a few crucial interceptions inside his half.
The Dutch defensive ace is even proficient at playing his way out from the back but only time will tell whether he can maintain his high standards in Premier League football.
A defender of Botman’s quality will be a brilliant signing for Newcastle United as he will enhance the quality of Eddie Howe‘s defence considerably ahead of the new campaign. The Ligue 1 defensive powerhouse would serve as an upgrade over Dan Burn and Jamaal Lascelles at St. James’ Park.
At 22, the future is quite bright for Botman as long as he continues to improve himself with each year. All in all, the Lille talent will be a great fit for the Magpies as he could help them challenge for a major trophy and secure a European place in the coming seasons.
