Sven Botman changes his tune amid Newcastle and AC Milan transfer battle

Just days after insisting he would not talk about his future, Lille defender Sven Botman has dropped a major hint he will be heading to AC Milan this summer. Newcastle United remain keen on landing the Dutchman, who has been a key target for the Magpies' hierarchy since the January window.

Dan Ashworth 's appointment may bolster the pursuit for Botman but the club are up against an Italian giant who recently won Serie A and subsequently have Champions League football to look forward to next season. Speaking on Monday, Botman dropped the clearest clue yet he is heading to Italy rather than the Premier League, giving a wry smile to an interviewer when asked about Milan while on international duty.

"It's just an important moment for me, so I hear about this almost every day. Things are progressing and I hope that before the start of the preparation more clarity," Botman said before smiling widely when Milan was mentioned.

Just days before this bombshell, the centre-back admitted transfer talks were progressing nicely. However, the 22-year-old insisted he would not be giving any indication as to which club was leading the race.

"Talks are underway now. I won’t go into all of that, but it’s going well," Botman said over the weekend. "I can’t and won’t say much more about it."

Milan have director Paolo Maldini leading the charge for Botman's signature as they look to snap up one of Europe's brightest prospects. Speaking in January, the former Rossoneri defender said: "Botman is a very good player, of course he is owned by Lille and has a contract until 2024."

More recently Maldini publicly played down a deal for Botman, despite reports across Europe suggesting a deal was in place. "Botman? We have followed him, but there