Newcastle United leading race to sign 22-year-old defender in £30 million deal: Reports

According to reports circulated by Football Insider, Newcastle United have taken the lead in the race to sign Lille defender Sven Botman. The Magpies have become the punters' favorite to land the Lille defender in the summer after failing to secure a January transfer.

Newcastle remain in the race to sign a top quality defender, as the Saudi-backed outfit hope to revamp their team to represent their new wealth profile. The Magpies have been linked with the Dutch defender since the Saudi takeover, which was engineered by Amanda Stavely last year.

Newcastle initially faced competition from AC Milan to sign Botman, with the Italian giants looking likely to bag the Dutchman. However, momentum swung in favor of the Magpies. A report by Football Insider suggests that they can make the signing with a bid of about £30 million.

The Mapgies reportedly have a large budget to work with in the summer, having reportedly spent £94 million in January. Botman's price could be paid back with the long-term benefits of signing a young and talented centre-back, especially if he can help them to potential trophies.

If Botman joins Dan Burn, Keiran Trippier, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimares, the Magpies could look to build a world-class team for the coming years.

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Newcastle linked with Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno: Reports

Arsenal v Sunderland - Carabao Cup Quarter Final

The Magpies are said to have out-of-favor Gunners goalkeeper Bernd Leno on their radar this summer, but will have to compete with Bayer Leverkusen for Leno's signature.

This comes from a Caught Offside report that states that Arsenal have cut down their asking price for Leno, and Newcastle could potentially get him for as low as £10 million. However, with German outfit Leverkusen close on the Magpies' tail for the star, the Qatari-owned side will need to pull financial strings to bring Leno to St. James Park.

So far this season, Leno has made just three Premier League appearances, clearly playing second fiddle to Arsenal's new man Aaron Ramsdale. He has played in four domestic Cup matches, but will need to move to another team if he is to see his career flourish again.

A move to Bayer Leverkusen might come in handy, as that would be a return to familiar environments for Bernd Leno.