What can Newcastle expect from Sven Botman?

The Dutchman completed a move to Tyneside this week and has signed a five-year deal with Eddie Howe’s side.

At 22 years of age, Newcastle United are getting one of the most promising central defenders in Sven Botman from Lille.

Newcastle attempted to sign him in January but have now landed their long-term target in defence making him the club’s third signing after Nick Pope and Matt Targett joined the club earlier.

So what are Botman’s strengths and what can Newcastle United expect from their marquee defender? Let’s take a look.

 

Strong physical presence

Standing at 6’3”, what immediately stands out about Botman is his incredible physical presence on the pitch, which will no doubt intimidate Premier League attackers this season.

This large frame means that he is more than a handful in duels and especially aerially, he is favourite to win most balls in the air that come at him.

Having had his footballing education at the Ajax academy, Botman moved to Herenveen in search of first-team football before being picked up by Lille at the age of 20 by sporting director Luis Campos.

At the age of 22, Botman has already impressively racked up over 10,000 minutes of domestic league football, which means that he comes in with plenty of know-how and experience of how to handle himself at the back.

To underline his strength in the air, in the 21-22 Ligue 1 season, Botman won 73.3% of his aerial duels, winning 74 and losing just 27 in total.

That incredible ability in the air helps him become an asset in both penalty boxes on the pitch. He scored 3 goals last season and assisted one which means that he is also capable of being a threat during attacking set-pieces for Newcastle.

 

Reliable in possession

Having come through the Ajax academy in his formative years, it is of little surprise that Botman is someone who is comfortable with the ball at his feet.

This is an attribute that will no doubt help Newcastle against teams that will sit back against them which then allows the likes of Botman to venture forward and help Howe’s side recycle possession higher up the pitch in dangerous areas.

His pass completion rate of 89% places him in the 77th percentile of centre backs across the top five leagues according to Statsbomb via FBref. Another impressive statistic to show just how comfortable he is in possession of the ball.

Although there are drawbacks to someone with his physical attributes, that won’t be as much of a problem once Howe coaches the side to keep greater control of the ball and not be as exposed on the counter attack, which is where Botman might be found out.

He is also above average as a ball-progressor, averaging 2.70 progressive passes per90, a number which places him in the 57th percentile against all centre backs across the top five leagues according to Statsbomb via FBref.

 

Willing defender

A defender’s job is first and foremost to protect the goal and Botman excels in that aspect of the game.

In the 21/22 season, the Dutch youth international averaged 4.76 clearances per90, which also points to his characteristic as a no-nonsense defender when it comes to clearing up any opposition threat in Newcastle’s defensive third.

Furthermore, he also averaged 2 blocks per90 in the league last season, indicating his ability and willingness to prevent shots and dangerous passes in and around the box.

On top of all his obvious qualities, Botman is a left-footed player and that is a desirable trait these days for the top clubs and that makes him all the more an excellent signing for Newcastle and Eddie Howe.