Sven Botman is in an interesting position at Newcastle United.
While few would doubt that Botman is a brilliant defender when at his best, he has been unable to show that often enough during recent seasons at Newcastle United.
Indeed, the Dutch defender has missed so many games due to injury, although he is fit again now.
Still, Fabian Schar and Dan Burn largely continue as Eddie Howe’s first-choice central defenders, although Botman made his second start of the season down at Bournemouth on Sunday.
He’s now also got a certain Malick Thiaw to compete with for a starting berth in the Newcastle United squad.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the former Lille man is not happy about it.
- Who is Sven Botman? Get the lowdown on Newcastle United’s Dutch defensive dynamo
Sven Botman unhappy with current Newcastle United role
According to The Daily Mail, Botman does not like his place in the Newcastle United pecking order.
He did, however, play very well at Bournemouth on Sunday and could be set for more appearances in the near future given Schar has been ruled out for around 12 days with a head injury.
In total, the defender has made 80 appearances for the club but has missed 59 games through injury since Newcastle paid around £35million to sign Botman from Lille in 2022.
Newcastle United planning contract talks with Sven Botman
Botman’s contract at Newcastle is set to expire in the summer of 2027.
While the situation surely largely depends on his fitness, it would be wise to offer him a new deal. At his best, he’s proven to be a brilliant defender.
Newcastle are planning to hold contract talks with Botman, who has previously been linked with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayer Leverkusen.
Interestingly, Newcastle blocked a potential move to Leverkusen for Botman when interest emerged in the player towards the end of the summer transfer window.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
