Newcastle United reportedly hold 'preliminary talks' with £35m defender over new deal
Newcastle United have a few players whose contracts are running dangerously low, and while there's been speculation that not all will have new contracts on the table, there are some who are in line for a bumper pay day.
Newcastle's squad is ageing, and the likes of Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar don't have long left on their contracts with the club.
While we'd expect that Eddie Howe would love to keep both players, it remains to be seen what new sporting director Ross Wilson's stance is on retaining players well into their 30s.
Meanwhile, Sven Botman's contract will expire at the end of next season, and now that he looks to be clear of his injury concerns, a decision needs to be made on the £35 million man's long-term future.
Newcastle have opened talks with Sven Botman over a new deal
Botman missed much of the last two seasons after suffering from bad knee injuries, but he's made a strong return this season, forming a strong partnership with Malick Thiaw.
Now, Dutch outlet Voetbal International are claiming that Newcastle have held 'preliminary talks' with Sven Botman over a new deal.
Botman had been identified as one of the stars Newcastle will want to nail down to a new deal sooner rather than later, along with Tino Livramento and Sandro Tonali.
We expect a new contract will be on the table for Sven Botman soon
Botman is being slightly overshadowed by Malick Thiaw in Newcastle's defence, and some have pointed fingers at the Dutchman for a couple of sub-par performances of late, which could explain why Fabian Schar was recalled to the starting lineup on Saturday.
That being said, he's still shown numerous times that he's a top-quality defender and that partnership with Malick Thiaw could last for many seasons.
We expect that Botman will be offered a new deal soon, and hopefully, it's one he'll sign and commit his future to Newcastle United.
