Newcastle transfer news: Amanda Staveley ‘ready for battle’ with Tottenham and AC Milan | Football | Sport

Newcastle chief Amanda Staveley is reportedly preparing for a summer battle with Tottenham and AC Milan for transfer target Sven Botman. The Lille defender was highly sought in the January transfer window, including by the Magpies, but remained with the reigning Ligue 1 champions for the rest of the campaign. 

Eddie Howe was keen to add defensive reinforcements to his Newcastle side during the January transfer window.  

The Tyneside outfit had conceded a staggering amount of goals in the first half of the season. New defenders was viewed as a priority.  

Newcastle made three defensive signings – Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid, Matt Targett on loan from Aston Villa and Dan Burn from Brighton.  

However, they missed out on top target Botman following a lengthy pursuit. 

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Botman has long been linked with a move to the Premier League and was reported to be of interest to Liverpool in January 2021 when Jurgen Klopp was suffering from a defensive injury crisis.  

But Newcastle and Tottenham appeared to be the frontrunners for the 21-year-old, who helped Lille stun European football by winning Ligue 1 last term.  

According to Chronicle Live, Newcastle will reinvest their interest in Botman in the summer transfer window but will face competition from Spurs and AC Milan.  

Director Staveley – who was key to brokering October 2021’s £305million takeover – is particularly keen on the centre-back. 

The north Londoners ended up with just two incomings – Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.  

Botman’s agent, Nikkie Bruinenberg, reportedly took in Milan’s Serie A clash with Lazio at the San Siro last week. 

It is a subtle hint that Botman could end up in Italy in the summer.  

Botman and Lille have suffered a slightly disappointing defence of their remarkable Ligue 1 title success. They are currently 10^th in the French top-flight.