West Ham join the race to sign 'golden boy' as priority for Moyes; Maldini said he's class

West Ham are set to battle for the signing of LOSC Lille centre-back Sven Botman according to a report from the Northern Echo. 

Botman played an integral part in the Lille side that lifted the Ligue 1 title in 2020/21 and was hailed as a ‘top player’ by defensive partner Jose Fonte, helping to keep 20 clean sheets.

He earned an impressive 7.08 average match rating from 37 league outings in the process (Sofascore), and has even earned praise from the legendary Paolo Maldini for his form in the last couple of years.

The 22-year-old has already attracted attention from Liverpool and AC Milan in the past and now is the subject of further interest from the English top flight.

As per the report from NE, West Ham are set to ‘battle’ for the capture of the Netherlands youth international.

It’s claimed that whilst Newcastle United remain in the hunt, the east London club will offer ‘stiff competition’ in the summer transfer window.

Having failed in an attempt to land Duje Caleta-Car in January, it’s stated that West Ham are ‘set to switch their attentions’ to Botman.

Irons’ boss David Moyes is believed to have ‘identified‘ a left-sided central defender as a top priority and it’s easy to see why Lille’s colossal young Dutchman is among the leading contenders.

Described as a ‘golden boy’ by Francesco Miniero, Botman has gone from strength to strength in an exciting career to date and looks perfectly suited to bolster the defensive ranks at the London Stadium.

Standing at 6’4 and strong in the air (WhoScored), so far this season the ex-Ajax man has scored three times in 21 league appearances, proving to be equally impactful in both penalty boxes.

Valued at £27million and under contract in France until 2025 (Transfermarkt), signing