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Sources: Newcastle United make new Sven Botman move after personal terms agreed
Newcastle United will make a fresh attempt to beat AC Milan to the signing of Lille defender Sven Botman, Football Insider understands.
The Serie A giants have leapfrogged Newcastle in the race to lure the centre-back, 22, this summer and are working to finalise a deal in the coming weeks.
A Newcastle source has told Football Insider that the club have not given up hope of landing Botman after extensive negotiations over a potential deal both in January and subsequently.
Both clubs have offered a contract to the defender and verbally agreed personal terms.
They will now try to negotiate a fee with Lille, who have held out for a £30million fee.
Newcastle offered £27m for him in January but Lille held firm and would not let him go.
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The Netherlands under-21 international was among the Magpies’ top targets during the winter window.
However, Eddie Howe instead turned to Dan Burn to strengthen the heart of his defence.
Despite the giant centre-back’s arrival, the Newcastle boss is still in the market for more defensive recruits.
The Magpies have remained in talks with Lille over a potential deal for Botman, despite rival interest from AC Milan.
The Italian heavyweights have also been working on a prospective move with the French side and Botman ahead of the summer.
The defender, who stands at 6ft 5in tall, has been a mainstay for Lille since joining from Ajax in 2020.
He has 75 appearances under this belt for the Ligue 1 outfit, 28 of which have come this season.
As well as Burn, Newcastle have Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Federico Fernandez, Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett as their centre-back options.
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