Report: Tottenham and Liverpool told they will have to pay £39m to sign defender

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Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool will have to pay a whopping £39million to sign Lille defender Sven Botman according to CalcioMercato, with both clubs still interested in raiding the French side for the impressive centre-back.

Botman, 21, joined Lille from Ajax last summer having failed to play a single match for the Dutch outfit – instead impressing on loan with Eredvisie outfit Heerenveen in 2019-20. He has since started 31 of Lille’s 33 games this season, a sub in another.

The Dutch defender – who has been called up by his country but is yet to win a senior cap – is considered one of the best talents of his age at centre-back in European football right now. Tottenham and Liverpool both want to sign the defender.

It is believed that Spurs and Liverpool might face competition from Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan, but that any interested parties will have to shell out a whopping £39million to sign Botman. TransferMarkt claim he has the same agent as Steven Bergwijn.

TBR’s view – Botman could still prove to be a bargain

Excellent on the ball, strong in the tackle and commanding in the air – Botman is showing the kind of quality expected of someone much older. Indeed, Ajax recently sold Matthijs de Ligt to Juventus, and Botman is not far off his old teammate.

Botman could be worth anything, he has the world at his feet. In years to come, Botman could reach the level of the best central defenders in the world – so £39million, while expensive right now, could prove to be a bargain in five years time.