Botman admitted that he always dreamed of playing in the English Premier League.
Sven Botman admits AC Milan gave him a positive feeling, but in the end Newcastle United made him feel better.
Newcastle have completed the £35m ($42.9m) signing of Sven Botman from Lille, with the player signing a five-year contract.
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The 22-year-old had actually been a long-time target for AC Milan, who needed new ammunition in defence, but the Italian Serie A club were slow to get caught. The Magpies.
“In the end, Newcastle’s ambitious project and the opportunity to play in the Premier League were the decisive factors,” Botman told The Telegraph.
“I always dreamed of playing in the Premier League. AC Milan gave me a positive feeling, but Newcastle felt a little bit better in the end.”
“Football in England is different than in France. I’m not very famous, but people recognize me on the streets and want to talk to me. The fans have welcomed me warmly in the stadiums and training centres, I’m not used to this.”
Both Newcastle and AC Milan tried to sign Botman in January, but Lille did not want to sell him.
“I already wanted to come here in January because some opportunities only come once,” said the defender again.
“Newcastle was a big opportunity for me, but my club wanted to keep me. In the end, I left Lille in the right way, the way they deserved, because I knew we were going to play two great games against Chelsea in the Champions League.”
