According to sources, Manchester United will battle with arch-rivals Liverpool for the signing of Lille defender Sven Botman, 20, as the Premier League sides aim to reinforce their defensive options. After climbing the ladder through the ranks at Ajax, the Dutch youngster moved to the Stade Pierre Mauroy this summer, and a string of spectacular results in Christophe Galtier's backline caught the attention of both Solskjaer and Klopp.
This year, the Badhoevedorp-born defender has appeared in 36 of Les Dogues' 37 league games, keeping 20 clean sheets and conceding just 21 goals. Although the inclusion of 37-year-old Jose Fonte accompanying him has undoubtedly helped him improve, no one can argue that the Dutch youngster has performed admirably this season.
This season, the Lille performer has put up several impressive stats, averaging 0.8 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, and 3.2 clearances every 90 minutes in all tournaments. The 20-year-old defender has been related to Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, and how he has developed himself for being one of the most promising talents in European football, with every passing game adding to his abilities.
For Liverpool, With VVD and Joe Gomez missing a significant portion of the 2020/21 campaign due to their lengthy absence, Liverpool's pursuit of Sven Botman makes more sense. The recuperation from certain injuries takes a long time and there’s no surety that VVD would be able to get back to his prolific form or not. Jurgen Klopp is looking for a long-term successor for Joel Matip as well as a centre-back who can help the Reds win the Premier League, and Botman suits the bill.
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For United, The Red Devils' defence is one of several places where they need to improve. But although Eric Bailly's recent form has made matters seem to be looking up, his injury situation demonstrates how inconsistent he could be in the longer term. Victor Lindelof, on the other hand, is already struggling through back pain this season and has underperformed, whereas Harry Maguire has been unreliable in key games so far this season. As a result, if Solskjaer wants to remain in the title race, having the deal done this summer should be a top priority. Furthermore, Botman, at the age of 20, can only improve in the coming years, and a transfer to Old Trafford could help all involved parties.
“If I’m honest, the Premier League is one of the leagues I dreamed about….” Botman said in an interview a few days back and it is to see if his dream gets fulfilled.
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