Sven Botman is well aware of the interest in him from Newcastle United and AC Milan and says he is ‘looking forward to a new step’ in his career.
The 22-year-old centre-back has caught the eye at Lille since joining from Ajax in 2020, making 79 appearances for the French side over the last two seasons.
The imposing, 6’5″ defender is yet to be capped by Netherlands and has not quite caught the attention of the biggest clubs in Europe, but Newcastle and AC Milan are keen to get hold of him.
The Dutchman confirms that those two clubs are interested, and while he is keen to climb the next rung up the ladder, he sounds in no rush to jump at the first offer he receives.
‘Those clubs are interested, yes,’ he told Dutch publication Algemeen Dagblad. ‘I can’t and won’t say much more about it.
‘What I want? Taking a nice step towards a nice competition. I am also looking forward to a new step.
‘I am aware of what I want. That is not necessarily to that club or that competition. You weigh all kinds of things and then the total picture has to suit you. I must have a very good feeling about it.’
Newcastle have already had a £26m bid accepted for Reims striker Hugo Ekitike, but boss Eddie Howe has warned that the club will not be spending huge amounts, despite their mega-rich new owners.
‘With Financial Fair Play, we have restraints and we have things that we have to work within, so we can’t just go out and spend money on players like maybe teams could have done in the past and totally change their squad within one transfer window,’ Howe said earlier this year.
‘That is not an option for us. The more money you spend in one window, the more it impacts your ability to then spend in windows beyond. The rules are there to govern the game properly and we have to follow suit, so that does impact what we can do this summer.’
MORE : Newcastle have £26m bid accepted for Reims striker Hugo Ekitike
MORE : Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s stance on joining Arsenal, Manchester United or Newcastle United this summer
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