Sven Botman’s agents have described Lille’s decision to reject Newcastle United’s bids for the defender as ‘unbelievable’ but insists the door is open for the summer.
Botman was among the names Newcastle pursued throughout the January transfer window as they sought to bolster their squad with their newfound wealth.
Eddie Howe was keen to add a centre-back to his squad, having identified that area as a weakness in need of strengthening.
Newcastle subsequently pursued big moves for several players in that position, with Sevilla’s Diego Carlos and Lille’s Botman at the top of the list.
Negotiations with both clubs proved to be tough, though, as both refused to sell two of their star players for anything less than their huge asking prices.
As a result, neither ended up making the move to St James Park, with Newcastle instead finalising a late deal for Brighton and Hove Albion defender Dan Burn.
Whether they return for either player in the summer remains to be seen and will, of course, be dependent on whether they can avoid relegation from the Premier League.
“Lille said from the start that they didn’t want to sell unless there was a certain offer that would be so high that they couldn’t refuse it,” Nikkie Bruinenberg explained to Voetbal International.
“That offer then also came, and then they said no after all. Unbelievable, really. Sven could have become the third most expensive player worldwide in the last window,” added colleague Fulco van Kooperen.
“The nice thing about Sven is: he is a boy who makes his own choices and mapped out his own path,” Bruinenberg continued.
“He could have gone for his chance at Ajax after his year at SC Heerenveen, as he had just extended his contract there. Instead, he decided to go for the adventure at Lille.”
“With the knowledge of now, that sounds very logical, but you have to dare to do it as a young player. That way of thinking will continue to guide him in the future. He is ready for a step up, and towards the summer, AC Milan and Newcastle United are very nice clubs.”
