Manchester United have increased their search of Sven Botman, according to Duncan Castles, as stated by Express. The club has already contacted the LOSC Lille defender's agents, who have emerged as the main replacement for top goal Raphael Varane.
Manchester United seem to have hit an impasse with Real Madrid over negotiations for their star defensive asset, with the Premier League unable to satisfy Los Blancos' hefty £60 million requests.
As a consequence, Botman has emerged as the preferred replacement for the Frenchman, and he is a much more feasible choice for Manchester United, with Lille set to offload the teenager during the forthcoming summer transfer window.
According to reports earlier this week, the Red Devils may face tough competition from league rivals Tottenham Hotspur in their search for Botman, who has become one of Ligue 1's emerging stars this season.
The former Ajax youth player joined Lille last summer for a fee of just £7.2 million and has found immediate success alongside Jose Fonte at the core of the four-man backline.
His hard ethic and commanding stature have been crucial in having Les Dogues emerge as favourites to win Ligue 1 this season, with the team still boasting the league's strongest defensive record.
Manchester United's involvement in Botman is unsurprising, given that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will definitely use anyone of Botman's calibre alongside Harry Maguire next season. Standing at 1.95m, the young Dutchman could have the physicality that United has lacking in their defensive unit this season.
Botman can have fair rivalry for the likes of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly to partner with Maguire at the core of Manchester United's defence. His possible arrival, though, does not bode well for Axel Tuanzebe, who has already been associated with a transfer away from Old Trafford after coping with a lack of playing time under Solskjaer.
The Lille defender, who has enormous promise, maybe a perfect cost-effective replacement for Varane, while the Dutchman could lack the same expertise and leadership as his French counterpart. Nonetheless, he has the ability to flourish under Solskjaer, eventually being the symbol of Manchester United's defence as the club looks to contend with the top dogs of English football next season.
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