Newcastle United are closing in on their third signing of the summer as a deal for Sven Botman edges closer.
The Magpies agreed a fee with Lille on Friday, and will reportedly pay the French side £35million for the defender.
Botman is set to arrive in the North East in the coming days for a medical. He will also finalise the terms of his contract, which isn’t expected to be an issue according to the Athletic.
It’s a huge breakthrough for Newcastle, who have been chasing Botman all year. Their efforts to sign him in January fell short, and a fresh attempt in the summer looked even trickier.
AC Milan’s presence threatened to put an end to Eddie Howe’s dream of landing the 22-year-old. However, the Magpies have fended off interest from the Italian juggernaut and are getting the centre-back they’ve wanted all year.
The Toon hierarchy will be delighted that their bid has been accepted, as Mehrdad Ghodoussi’s transfer vow earlier this month rings true.
Ghodoussi’s message to supporters
Ghodoussi’s presence on Twitter is great for fans, allowing them to interact with the co-owner. However, it also means that supporters can try and attract his attention with floods of social media messages.
There had been some discontent about the club’s start to the summer transfer window, with prolong deals for Hugo Ekitike and Botman proving to be frustrating.
Amanda Staveley’s husband was sent a tweet about transfers 11 days ago, and he responded with four words – ‘patience is a virtue’.
It was cryptic, but an important message that Toon fans were right to take note of. Not every transfer will be straightforward, and the club will suffer setbacks as they look to give Eddie Howe’s squad a boost.
However, the new owners are yet to fail us in the transfer market, and they should be trusted.
Ghodoussi called for patience from fans, and that is what Newcastle have needed in their pursuit of Botman.
Patience is a virtue as Newcastle close in on Botman signing
He has been one of the Magpies’ main targets since the takeover went through, with rumours of interest first emerging in December 2021.
At one point it looked highly unlikely that he would be heading to St James’ Park, but now it appears that it will be Botman’s home for the foreseeable future.
Hopefully he has a long career at Newcastle, as that will likely mean that he has been a major success in black and white.
Ghodoussi was right – patience has proven to be a virtue, and it proves that fans must trust in the process. There will be bumps along the way, but the owners are working to make this the best Newcastle United possible.
Botman is another piece of the jigsaw, and the club deserve a lot of credit as this transfer saga heads towards a joyous conclusion.