£55m double deal edges closer: Both fees agreed & club in talks over payment structure – Report

Newcastle United have made ‘significant progress’ in their pursuit of long-term target Sven Botman, according to the Northern Echo.

Chief writer Scott Wilson has released a piece this morning announcing that we have now agreed a £30m fee with Lille, stating we are ‘hopeful’ of sealing a deal swiftly now the player is in the UK to represent Holland’s U21 side in their European Championships qualifier against Wales on Saturday.

The same report insists that we’ve also agreed a £25m fee with Reims for highly-rated Frenchman Hugo Ekitike, however it seems the completion of both deals could hinge over the structure of payments.

As revealed by The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards last night, Wilson reports that we are keen to pay £15m up front for Botman, with the remaining amount being sent over the duration of the Dutchman’s contract.

Lille, on the other hand, are said to want more than £15m in the initial payment we are proposing, and it’s thought similar talks are taking place over add-ons involved in a deal for Ekitike. That said, the piece insists we are confident both will be Newcastle United players ‘within the next couple of weeks.’

If it’s true and we really have agreed fees for both Ligue 1 talents, you’d like to think Ashworth’s arrival could play a big part in getting both over the line – especially when we appear so close to signing two long-term targets we’ve spent several months pursuing!