Sven Botman has already given transfer verdict amid Manchester United and Newcastle links

Manchester United are hoping to make Lille centre-back Sven Botman one of their first summer signings, according to reports.

Football Insider have suggested new United manager Erik ten Hag is an ‘admirer of the left-sided centre-back’ and revealed his name came up in conversations during a recent meeting at the club.

Botman was believed to be closing in on a move to Serie A giants AC Milan and has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United over the last six months.

But the Red Devils have now reportedly made their interest known and are said to have entered into ‘preliminary talks’ with French club Lille in a move to make the Dutch star one of their first new signings.

Botman has openly discussed his future during the second half of the season after he was at the centre of heightened speculation during the January transfer window.

When media talk surrounding a possible £35million move to Newcastle was floated, he told Dutch outlet Ziggo Sport: “Everyone says about Newcastle - it's all about money.

“But it's a very nice project, if you look at where Man City and PSG started. I think it would be very nice to be part of that, but Milan is a beautiful club.

"I'm fine at Lille for the time being. I assume that I will take a good step in my career next summer. You never know in football.

“This time both Newcastle and Milan were in very concrete talks. Both clubs have their positive points.”

Links with a move to Tyneside and Milan have not gone away since the closure of the January transfer window and both clubs are said to have retained their interest in a summer move for the 22-year-old former Ajax centre-back.

Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe recently, Botman seemed to suggest he is yet to make a firm decision on his future.

He said: “I accepted the situation. There were opportunities (to leave). But we also had the Champions League to play in, my first one. And we were in a good position in Ligue 1. I think these offers will come back.

“I’ll see. If things go as planned, then yes but first of all I want to finish this season well. The club deserves it. After that, we’ll see. I haven’t decided anything”

It seems likely Botman will leave France this summer and United’s reported hope of concluding a deal for the defender seem to have been given a boost if comments made by Lille chairman Olivier Letang are anything to go by.

Speaking to La Parisien earlier this season, he said: “Sven already had opportunities to leave last summer. I told him that he wouldn’t leave and that we would discuss it again at the end of the season.

“He’s a great person and a top player who deserves to play in a club that can win the Champions League. If there’s something which allows everyone to be satisfied next summer, we will discuss it. It’s important to stick to your commitments.”