Newcastle United have been dealt a major blow in their reported pursuit of Lille centre-back Sven Botman... 

What's the talk?

According to Calciomercato, Italian giants AC Milan have agreed a five-year contract with the Dutch defender ahead of the summer.

The report claims that he will earn €3m (£2.5m) per season plus bonuses as part of the agreement, which means that the Serie A outfit have committed to paying him at least £12.4m over the course of his initial contract.

Gutted

This is a huge setback for PIF as it suggests that they are set to miss out on a deal for Botman at the end of the summer, and Eddie Howe will surely be left gutted.

The defender agreeing to terms with Milan suggests that he is keen on a move to Italy and it could now be very difficult, albeit not impossible, for Newcastle to turn this situation around before he is able to complete the transfer.

He recently showed that he has the quality to produce a top-class performance against Premier League opposition as he caught the eye against Chelsea in the Champions League. As per SofaScore, he won six of his seven duels and made seven clearances, one block and two tackles.

The Dutchman also completed 91% of his passes out from the back to showcase his ball-playing ability. Howe would surely have been impressed by this aspect of his game, as it suggests that the Dutchman would be able to build attacks out from the back, helping Newcastle to progress the ball more efficiently.

Botman has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.14 in Ligue 1 for Lille this season, winning a whopping 67% of his duels overall and making 4.7 clearances per game. He has been able to deliver consistently brilliant displays and his performance against Chelsea was not a one-off, which is why he would be a marvellous signing for the Magpies.

Therefore, Howe will be gutted that the club now look set to miss out on the 22-year-old. Milan appear to be closing in on his signature after this latest update and - for the reasons stated above - the Toon boss will be frustrated with the prospect of Botman not joining Newcastle in the summer transfer window.

Missing out on his services will be a major blow for PIF and they could now need to adjust their targets ahead of next season to find a new centre-back to bring in. If the Netherlands international decides to join Milan, perhaps the Magpies could go back in for Diego Carlos or identify an alternative target.

AND in other news, Newcastle plot record-breaking swoop for £54m-rated "winner", fans will be excited...