Pundit Paddy Kenny believes that Newcastle United could struggle to sign Lille defender Sven Botman due to a ‘problem caused by’ former owner Mike Ashley, as per Football Insider.  

The Magpies could be in for a busy first transfer window under new owners PIF, with Eddie Howe’s side three points off safety.

One man who the club are trying to bring to St James’ Park is Botman, with The Athletic sharing the news last week. Sources believe that an offer in the region of £40m could be enough for the Ligue 1 side to part ways with the centre-back in what could be a club-record move.

Botman has made 62 appearances for Lille after joining from Ajax in a deal worth £7.2m in July 2020.

The Latest: Kenny’s comments

Kenny was talking to Football Insider regarding a possible £40m move for Botman. The former Leeds goalkeeper feels that Newcastle could have trouble making any major winter additions due to their lowly position in the league, labelling the current squad as a 'problem caused by Ashley'.

He outlined:

“They have the money to do it, no question.

“It’s about whether he will come. I don’t know much about the guy but if he’s worth that much at that age he’s clearly talented.

“Newcastle could be bottom of the league by January. Why would any decent player go and join them?

“I’ve got nothing against Newcastle, I just think you have to look at it like that.

“Clubs who are in better positions will be interested, I imagine.

“Even if Newcastle are the only club to bid. You would just stay where you are, wouldn’t you?

“I think that’s the problem Newcastle face. A problem caused by Ashley and the previous regime.

“That squad is nowhere near good enough.”

The Verdict: Why not?

Botman is still in the early stages of his career and isn’t yet a household name in world football, so who’s to say that he wouldn’t want to make the move to Tyneside in the New Year despite Newcastle's current league position?

You could argue that he might actually jump at the chance to join one of the biggest leagues in the world, with Howe seemingly keen to bolster his defensive ranks after links to Burnley pair Ben Mee and James Tarkowski.

Regular game-time may have to be guaranteed to the 21-year-old, but you’d expect that wouldn’t be an issue, especially if the club are willing to spend £40m on the Dutch defender.

In other news: 'In the next day or two' - PIF now closing in on 1st major Newcastle signing; Howe gets his wish