Sven Botman is a great alternative if Newcastle can’t sign James Tarkowski

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It’s clear that Newcastle both want and need to sign a centre-back in the January transfer window.

Despite improved defensive showings in our past two games, there is still a need for Eddie Howe to boost his defensive options.

The Magpies haven’t signed a first-team central defender since Federico Fernandez arrived in August 2018.

Steve Bruce wanted one in the summer but Mike Ashley didn’t deliver. Now it’s been reported that Howe wants to improve his defensive options, and he has ambitious owners backing him.

Newcastle have been linked with a plethora of defenders. The first to be rumoured was James Tarkowski, who would be an excellent signing.

The Burnley ace has plenty of Premier League experience, but there could be an issue.

The Northern Echo have reported that Burnley don’t want to sell Tarkowski, especially to a relegation rival like Newcastle.

Of course, money may talk. Newcastle might still be able to sign the 29-year-old.

But if not, it appears that the Toon recruitment team have identified an alternative.

Newcastle linked with Lille centre-back Sven Botman

According to the Athletic, Newcastle are interested in signing Sven Botman.

The Dutch defender plays for Lille, who are currently 11th in Ligue 1. The report adds that Botman could cost a club record equalling fee of £40million.

While Tarkowski has a wealth of experience at 29, Botman is just 21-years-old. The Netherlands Under-21 international is one of the most coveted young defenders in Europe right now, and would be a real coup for Newcastle.

With talk that Burnley won’t sell to a relegation rival, Newcastle may need to look elsewhere. And where better than Botman?

While he doesn’t have Premier League experience, he has bags of potential. Botman could be one of our main centre-backs for years to come.

In an ideal world, we would sign both Tarkowski and Botman. We could certainly do with more than just one centre-back in January.

Lille’s financial woes mean they may sell Botman, despite being on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages. Meanwhile, Burnley might not want to risk selling Tarkowski and jeopardising their Premier League status.

It’s a strange situation, but a move for Botman is probably more attainable. And in the long run, it could be the better deal for Newcastle and their new owners.