Newcastle United signed Sven Botman from Lille during the summer transfer window, and he is enjoying a sensational debut season so far.
Botman arrived at the start of the season for £35million, after the Magpies fended off interest from AC Milan to sign the talented Dutchman.
It was a long wait, after Newcastle had tried and failed to sign him during the January transfer window of 2022. But Eddie Howe went back in for him in the summer, and now he is a guaranteed starter in black and white.
The 23-year-old arrived as a player for the present and the future, and has played an integral role in Newcastle’s excellent season so far.
Had things gone differently, Botman could be playing his football in Italy with AC Milan. And if things were even more different, he could have headed to Italy even earlier and signed for Atalanta.
It is a case of ‘what could have been’ for Botman and Serie A clubs, with the giant defender earning rave reviews in Italy right now.
Italian journalist heaps praise on Sven Botman
Botman was a target for AC Milan in the summer of 2022, and he was a target for Atalanta in the summer of 2021.
Italian journalist Raimondo De Magistris has spoke to TMW about the defender’s failed move to the Bergamo side, stating that Atalanta had a deal in place for Botman – only for the owner to pull the plug.
“It’s the summer of 2021, and after months of negotiation, Sartori closes the purchase of Sven Botman from Lille, the Dutch centre-back, who a year later will come close to transferring to Milan and who, today, with the Newcastle shirt, is the best centre-back in the Premier League,” De Magistris wrote.
“Percassi won’t listen to him, deciding to go for Juventus’ Merit Demiral.”
Botman is the ‘best centre-back in the Premier League’
It is incredibly high praise for Botman, who missed out on the chance to join Atalanta two years ago. If he had made that move, a transfer to Newcastle probably never would have became a reality.
Thank goodness he didn’t join the Italian side, as he has been a brilliant addition to Eddie Howe’s side.
After a slow start, Botman is now the immoveable object at the back. He is currently on a run of 14 starts in a row in all competitions.
Botman has quickly established himself as one of the Premier League’s elite defenders, which begs the question why no other clubs challenged Newcastle for his signature.
Their loss is our gain, and the exciting thing is that Botman is only going to get better. He hasn’t even reached his prime yet.
Italian journalist Raimondo De Magistris already thinks Botman is the best in the Premier League, which is high praise indeed. Whether or not it’s true remains to be seen, but he is certainly on the right path to becoming just that.
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