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Tottenham Hotspur are set to compete with Newcastle United and AC Milan in the summer for Lille's Sven Botman.
Sport Mediaset reported on the 6th of February that Spurs have joined the race for the 22-year-old.
Botman was the subject of heavy interest in January from both Newcastle and AC, and after the transfer window closed, the Dutchman revealed that both offers enticed him (RMC Sport 31st of January).
However, Lille rejected all of the Toon's bids, and AC didn't make an official offer to the Ligue 1 side.
This has opened the door for other clubs to try and sign Botman in the summer, and it appears as if Tottenham are keen.
If we look at Antonio Conte's current options in the centre of defence, we can see that he still has to rely on the likes of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez.
The only top defender that Spurs have is Cristian Romero, who has just recovered from injury, so another top centre-back should be a priority for Tottenham.
Botman, at just 22, is widely seen as one of the best young centre-backs in Europe, and if Tottenham were to get him, they could have two defenders in Romero and Botman, who would be at the club for a long time.
Botman has averaged 1.2 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 2.2 aerial duels won per game so far in this campaign (WhoScored).
These are mighty impressive statistics, and they would put him near the top when compared with the centre-backs currently at Conte's disposal.
Signing Botman would also send Conte a clear message that Tottenham are prepared to back him and provide him with the team he needs to challenge for trophies.
If Spurs miss out, I doubt Conte would be too happy.
So, for me, this is a key deal that Spurs have to complete.