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Newcastle dealt a summer transfer blow as AC Milan pounce on defensive target


Newcastle United have been dealt a major blow ahead of their summer business as it has emerged that Sven Botman is on his way to AC Milan.

The newly-minted Magpies tried to lure the LOSC Lille centre-back to St James' Park in January, but could not agree a deal with the Ligue 1 side even though they offered a fee north of 30 million pounds.

And Botman himself admitted that he was likely to depart the club in the summer, with clubs sniffing around the Dutchman.

Now, it seems as though the Toon army will not get the chance to watch him turn out in the famous black and white shirts as AC Milan are ready to close a deal for the 21 year old defender. This comes as per Fabrizio Romano, who claims that 'AC Milan are really close to complete Sven Botman deal as first signing for the next season'. Meanwhile, Botman 'is ready to accept their proposal', meaning that only an agreement over a fee between the two clubs remain.

Newcastle looking to build for the future

There are certainly alternatives to Botman on the market, and all signs point towards Newcastle looking to build for the future. While they recruited experienced heads in January to ensure survival, there are clear signs of a 'project' at St James' Park, that included links to Botman and teen sensation Hugo Etitike in the winter window.

While no director of football has yet been appointed, there is a clear vision at the club which could see them become competitive much faster than anticipated, especially if they can continue to attract talent of the calibre of Bruno Guimaraes.

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Ben Browning

Ben Browning

Football writer and analyst. Long-time writer of all things Arsenal and avid watcher of European football. Happy to discuss all things football over on Twitter.


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