---
title: "Exclusive: Ligue 1 expert says Lille plan to keep West Ham target Botman"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/exclusive-ligue-1-expert-says-lille-plan-to-keep-west-ham-target-botman-this-season-transfers-rumour-chelsea-kurt-zouma-e223/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Caleb Sage"
section: "Exclusive"
published: "2021-08-07T06:05:04Z"
modified: "2021-08-07T06:05:04Z"
---

# Exclusive: Ligue 1 expert says Lille plan to keep West Ham target Botman

**Lille are planning on keeping West Ham target Sven Botman this summer, says [Adam White of Get French Football News](https://twitter.com/_adam_white_?lang=en).**

According to [Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11813/12366122/transfer-news-sven-botman-admired-by-premier-league-but-clubs-yet-to-rival-atalanta-for-lille-star), a host of Premier League clubs are interested in signing Botman, with West Ham said to be the most keen.

The 21-year-old impressed last season, making [37](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sven-botman/leistungsdaten/spieler/361093/plus/0?saison=2020) league appearances as he went on to help Lille win the Ligue 1 title ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, a title triumph that shocked French football.

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Such a contribution makes it no surprise that English top-flight outfits such as West Ham are interested in Botman. However, the noises coming out of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy suggest the Dutch youngster will probably not be leaving in this transfer window.

*“I think the plan is for him to stay this* *season,”* White told **TT**. *“I know that Jocelyn Gourvennec the new manager is keen to keep that title-winning team together and there were reports this summer that Botman expects to stay.* *Maybe next summer is the one for him.”*

West Ham do look really desperate to bring in a new centre-back before the transfer window closes, with the east London club [having also been linked with](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12691/12369808/west-ham-transfer-news-deal-for-kurt-zouma-appears-difficult-talks-held-over-nikola-milenkovic) Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma.

However, it does not look like Botman will be the man coming in to give David Moyes’ side a defensive boost.