Major blow: Fabrizio Romano drops big update that will leave NUFC supporters gutted - opinion

A huge update has emerged on Newcastle United and their chances of signing Sven Botman this summer…

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Milan are on the verge of finalising a swoop for the Ligue 1 colossus ahead of the Magpies.

Amanda Staveley recently claimed that the Dutchman wants to join the Toon, saying: “We had to encourage players – ‘we’ll be a safe place for you, we’ll deliver and grow’. Some desperately wanted to come to us, like Sven (Botman), who still does very much and has talked very openly about that.”

However, they now look set to miss out, with Romano Tweeting: “AC Milan are really close to complete Sven Botman deal as first signing for the next season, work in progress. Talks are advanced as planned for months. AC Milan are working to reach full agreement with Lille soon – Botman is ready to accept their proposal.”

This update will surely leave Newcastle supporters gutted as it will be a major blow to the club’s plans heading into the next window.

Botman is an exciting young defender who would have been a sublime addition to Eddie Howe’s squad and they will now have to watch him shine in Italy for the Rossoneri.

In Ligue 1 this season, he has averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.14. He has won an impressive 67% of his individual duels and made 4.5 clearances per game, which shows that he is strong in his one-on-one battles and his positioning is good enough to allow him to clear the ball from danger on a regular basis.

At the age of 22, he also has the potential to improve and develop as a player over time. This means that he would have been a great signing for the short and long-term future of the club, as he could have grown alongside the Toon as they look to move up in the Premier League pecking