Newcastle complete signing of Lille star Botman
FT Desk
- 28 Jun 2022 20:49 BST
- 3 min read
Lille's star defender Sven Botman is heading to the Premier League with Newcastle United after completing a transfer on Tuesday.
Botman, 22, is rated as one of the most talented young centre-backs in Europe and has impressed greatly in Ligue 1 since moving from Ajax in 2020.
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Newcastle acknowledged the transfer in a short statement published on the club's website on Tuesday.
✍️ Newcastle United have agreed a deal in principle with LOSC Lille to sign Dutch defender Sven Botman for an undisclosed fee!
⚫️⚪️— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) June 28, 2022
"Newcastle United have agreed a deal in principle with LOSC Lille to sign Dutch defender Sven Botman for an undisclosed fee, holding off competition from a host of European sides to secure the highly-rated centre-back," the Magpies stated.
"Botman has completed his medical on Tyneside and agreed the terms of a five-year contract.
"The formalities of the transfer are set to be concluded this week, following which the 22-year-old will officially become a Newcastle United player."
Newcastle's summer plans
This summer marks the second window for Newcastle since their takeover by the Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund.
While in January transfer activity was limited to a handful of targeted signings aimed at pulling the Magpies out of relegation trouble, a flurry of activity is expected in the coming weeks.
Indeed, Botman is the third big move clinched at St. James Park already this window, after Matt Targett and Alex Pope's arrivals.
Those three signings have been geared towards shoring up Eddie Howe's defence, but plenty of big attacking names have also been linked to Tyneside, including Leeds United's Brazil star Raphinha and Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen.
