Sven Botman has arrived on Tyneside to undergo his medical ahead of completing his sensational move to Newcastle United.
Newcastle reached a breakthrough in talks with Lille late last week after having an offer in the region of £31m plus add-ons accepted for the highly-rated defender. Botman was on holiday at the time, but the Dutchman landed at Newcastle Airport from Mallorca just before lunchtime on Monday to finalise his move and sign a long-term contract with the Magpies.
Taking to Instagram after he landed, Botman posted a photograph of his plane in a black and white filter with the caption: 'Showtime'.
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Given the interest elsewhere in Botman, from seven-time Champions League winners AC Milan no less, this represents a real statement of intent from Newcastle to potentially land a player with a high ceiling who can grow with the club in the coming years. It also justifies Newcastle's lengthy pursuit of their top centre-back target in 2022.
While a move to Milan had its obvious attractions for Botman, it is important to stress that the 22-year-old was always open to joining Newcastle because of the club's long-term ambitions. In fact, Botman was even prepared to swap life in the Champions League with Lille for a relegation battle back in January, but the French side refused to sell the defender at the time.
That is the sort of character Eddie Howe is keen to work with. Outsiders will point to the money on offer, which allowed Newcastle to effectively outbid Milan, but Botman will, tellingly, slot into the club's existing wage structure rather than smashing it.
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