Newcastle United are yet to strike a deal for Sven Botman despite ongoing talks with Lille - but they are being encouraged to keep the conversation in full flow.
A fresh bid is said to have been rejected by Lille as United look to get their man.
It's worth remembering that Lille supremo Olivier Létang is a shrewd operator and is more than capable of stretching the talks out a little longer to ensure a bigger price tag.
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Sources close to Létang say he is happy to engage with the Magpies and keep the discussions in place.
That was the case when Jonathan Ikone joined Fiorentina this month for €15million with just a year left on his contract.
Botman's representatives have refused to comment on the Magpies' latest €35million offer to buy the Dutchman but have stood up Newcastle's interest and are refusing to rule out a move to Tyneside.
The snag could well boil down to United's Premier League position and whether there is an escape clause in any deal signed.
Eddie Howe stated he does not want players that are looking for such an option but the reality is players at the top end of the market, like Botman, will require certain conditions to a move, with either relegation release or minimum fee release clauses.
AC Milan have had an interest in Botman during the window but are not prepared to get into a bidding war.
Milan director Frederic Massara said at the weekend: "Botman is a very good player, but I don’t think Lille want to deprive themselves of him at the moment. There are many options to be considered.
"There are possibilities to be evaluated, as it’s a very uncertain time for clubs, especially with the stadiums closing back down, so we need to think very carefully."
Nevertheless, Newcastle chiefs are still locked in talks over a fee for the Holland Under-21 international.
For now Lille are resisting but the cash-strapped Ligue 1 club know that they will need to trim down their €100m debt.
If Newcastle can get the fee accepted, it will then be down to proposing a package to Botman and dealing with his concerns over the club's second-bottom status.
Newcastle can climb out of the bottom three if they beat Watford at the weekend.
Newcastle's priorities aren't exclusively surrounding the centre-back area either with a striker now needed to cover for the injury absence of Callum Wilson.
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