There is some intriguing news emerging this weekend that could benefit Newcastle’s pursuit of Sven Botman. There are reports in France and Italy that AC Milan have been unable to reach an agreement on another Lille target in midfielder Renato Sanches.
The following tweet roughly translates to:
Negotiations are underway between PSG and Renato Sanches’ entourage. The Capital club has just launched the operation to secure the services of the LOSC midfielder. Discussions are progressing with Councilor Luis Campos.
? Negotiations are underway between PSG and Renato Sanches’ entourage. The Capital club has just launched the operation to secure the services of the LOSC midfielder. The discussions are progressing, with the maneuver Luis Campos.
– RMC Sport (@RMCsport) June 18, 2022
As with Botman, Milan had been favorites for the Portugal international. It’s a familiar story as the 24-year-old had the San Siro at heart and was waiting for an agreement to be reached with Lille.
PSG have stepped in and are now in pole position to land the talented midfielder. Luis Campos has recently been appointed as an adviser at PSG. He signed Sanches when he was sporting director of Lille in 2019.
Milan haven’t raised their initial bid for the player, with PSG now outbidding the Serie A champions. The same situation happened with Botman, who Campos also brought to Lille two summers ago.
Botman has been linked with PSG but they haven’t made an offer yet. What benefits Newcastle is that AC Milan seem to be struggling in the market due to their takeover. This negatively impacts their ability to sign their goals.
Calciomercato reports that Milan sporting director Paolo Maldini, whose contract expires next week, is now considering not signing an extension due to Botman and Sanches setbacks. Months of work went into the deal, with the club unwilling or unable to match other offers on the table.
If Milan is out of the picture for Botman, it should help Newcastle land their top defensive target. There are conflicting reports on whether Newcastle have a deal with Lille. This coming week should bring more clarity and I hope PSG don’t interfere like they did for Sanches.
