Lille's defender Sven Botman (L) fights for the ball with Prague' midfielder David Pavelka during the UEFA Europa League Group H football match between Lille LOSC and Sparta Prague at the Pierre Mauroy stadium, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, in the outskirts of Lille, northern France, on December 3, 2020. (Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP) (Photo by DENIS CHARLET/AFP via Getty Images)
According to claims from French outlet Foot Mercato (h/t Daily Mail), Liverpool are set to battle Inter Milan for highly-rated LOSC Lille centre-back Sven Botman during the January transfer window.
As per the report, the Reds made contact with the 20-year-old’s agent back in November and could firm up their interest in the Dutch U-20 international next month.
Lille have set an asking price of £45million for their prized asset but it is expected that the Ligue 1 club would accept an offer in the region of £27m due to the ongoing repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sven Botman rose through the youth ranks of Ajax and went on to represent the club across U-17, U-19 and U-21 levels, whilst also featuring in the UEFA Youth League. However, he never made a senior competitive appearance for his boyhood club and had his senior breakthrough on loan ar SC Heerenveen in the Eredivisie last season.
The towering centre-back enjoyed a wonderful start to his professional career, contributing with 2 goals and 4 assists in 30 appearances across all competitions for Heerenveen in 2019-20. Botman’s rise to prominence in his homeland prompted Lille to fork out a handsome £9million to secure his services this past summer.
The 20-year-old has made an instant impact following his move to France, making 22 appearances for Lille in all competitions so far this season. Botman has been instrumental in the club’s march to the top of the Ligue 1 standings while also playing a key role in helping his side qualify for the last-32 of the Europa League.
Liverpool’s interest in a new centre-back heading into the January window hardly comes as a big surprise. The Reds are currently short of cover at the heart of the defence following serious injuries to regular first-choice centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
Currently on top of the standings with 31 points accumulated from 14 games, Jurgen Klopp’s side definitely seem to be in a good position to defend their Premier League crown.
However, the ongoing injury crisis at the back and lack of depth could well jeopardise their ambitions, with fixtures set to come thick and fast during a crucial second half of the campaign.
Joel Matip and Fabinho have emerged as the new first-choice centre-back pairing for Klopp in the absence of Gomez and Van Dijk. While youngsters Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams have also stepped up with some impressive displays, it goes without saying that Liverpool have some gaping holes to plug in the winter market.
Putting things into context, Sven Botman ticks plenty of boxes to come through the door at Anfield as an excellent long-term addition to the squad. The Dutchman has impressed with his quality and maturity in Ligue 1 and Europa League this season following his sparkling breakthrough season at Heerenveen last term.
That he has featured as a regular starter week in week out over the past 18 months clearly underlines his ability as a central defender. Botman’s impressive progress at Lille recently earned him a call-up to the Dutch national team and he was even named on the bench in some UEFA Nations League fixtures back in November.
Standing at 6ft 4in with a commanding frame, Sven Botman looks every inch a top-quality centre-back in the making. He looks more than capable of offering the Reds some immediate cover at the back to help the club cope with the injury crisis. Being a left-footed player, he would offer more variety to Klopp at the back.
Having already thrived at the senior level, a move to Liverpool in January should allow him to develop his game even further in more competitive surroundings. That said, the Reds shouldn’t hesitate to splash the cash on the youngster next month.