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Newcastle United defender Sven Botman, who recently sealed a move to the Premier League, opened up about his respect for Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.
The 22-year-old joined the Magpies from Lille for a fee of €37 million on a five-year deal earlier this week.
During the 2021-22 season, Botman featured in 32 matches across all competitions for Lille. He also netted three goals and registered one assist along the way. Prior to that, he lifted the Ligue 1 title during his first year in France in the 2020-21 campaign.
Speaking to The Athletic, the new Newcastle United signing revealed his three favorite defenders. He said:
"I look a lot at Sergio Ramos, I like his attitude. On the field, it's like, 'I'm the boss, everybody has to listen to me'. I think some attackers hold back a bit because of that confidence. [Winston] Bogarde had the killing attitude, 'Nobody will dribble past me'. I learned a lot from this mentality."
He continued:
"I am very amazed by Virgil van Dijk because of his body. It’s like the same as me and he is really fast. I like to see how he works with his body and how he plays against small strikers like Sergio Aguero. I remember last season he had a record for how long an opponent didn’t pass him. For his size, it's amazing — top performance. I have a mix of these three things those players have."
Van Dijk, who has been a revelation for Liverpool since joining from Southampton in 2018, is considered to be one of the best defenders in the world. During his four-and-a-half year stay at Anfield, he has helped the Merseyside club lift every domestic and European cup competition.
The 30-year-old, who missed the majority of the 2020-21 campaign, was crucial to Liverpool's quadruple charge last season. He appeared in 51 matches across all competitions.
Newcastle United out of race for Hugo Ekitike
Newcastle United are out of the race to sign forward Hugo Ekitike even after agreeing a fee with Reims weeks ago, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The 20-year-old shone in Ligue 1 last season, registering 14 goal contributions in 24 matches.
Newcastle United have roped in Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope for £10 million. The club have also been linked with Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby [via The Sun]. They have even been linked with Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar [via GOAL] this transfer window.
