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Manchester City join the transfer race for Lille OSC starlet

By Rohan Sengupta

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 03: Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City (L) celebrates after scoring their sides third goal with Raheem Sterling of Manchester City (R) and Bernardo Silva of Manchester City (C) during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on January 03, 2021 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Andy Rain - Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 03: Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City (L) celebrates after scoring their sides third goal with Raheem Sterling of Manchester City (R) and Bernardo Silva of Manchester City (C) during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on January 03, 2021 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Andy Rain - Pool/Getty Images) /
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According to French publication L’Equipe (h/t The Daily Mirror), Manchester City are among the host of clubs keeping an eye on Lille OSC defender Sven Botman.

Sven Botman, 21, signed for Lille from Ajax last summer on a five-year deal and instantly became a key figure for the club that beat Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title. He played 37 Ligue 1 games, helping Lille keep an impressive 21 clean sheets in the process.

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The Dutchman played 90 minutes in the Trophee des Champions victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, with Xeka scoring the only goal of the game right at the stroke of half-time that ended the Parisian club’s eight-year-long streak.

But L’Equipe (h/t The Daily Mirror) claims Botman could leave Lille this summer after picking up two trophies in his maiden Ligue 1 season.

West Ham and Newcastle United are also said to be interested in the defender, who has four years left on his contract with Les Dogues.

Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is blessed with the central defensive options at his disposal, despite the departure of Eric Garcia.

Ruben Dias and John Stones forged an unbelievable partnership at the back last season, helping City win the Premier League title and reach the Champions League final. The Sky Blues enjoyed the best defensive record in the division—conceding 32 goals.

However, the partnership of Dias and Stones led to Aymeric Laporte losing his place in City’s starting XI. Laporte is understandably frustrated after failing to get regular game time last season, starting just 14 out of 16 Premier League games. It is understood the Spanish international is pushing Manchester City to sanction his exit this summer, with Barcelona an admirer of the center-back’s qualities.

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Should the Sky Blues decide to sell Laporte, who wants to return to Spain, Guardiola could perhaps enter the market for a center-back. A tall, strong, and left-footed center-back with excellent ball-playing ability, Botman could potentially be an ideal replacement for Laporte.

What now remains to be seen is if Manchester City are willing to spend big bucks on Botman after one brilliant season in Ligue 1.

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