‘Very composed’ – Ex-West Ham player sings the praises of rumoured Spurs target

Former Southampton and West Ham star Jose Fonte has admitted that he is not surprised to hear that Premier League clubs are showing interest in Sven Botman, who is rumoured to be a target for Spurs.

Botman was a relative unknown when Lille signed him last summer to replace Gabriel Magalhaes, who completed a move to Arsenal.

However, the young defender has already made a name for himself in his short time at Ligue 1 and has established himself as an important part of Christophe Galtier’s side.

Duncan Castles revealed in The Transfer Window Podcast (as relayed by The Express) in January that Tottenham were interested in the Dutchman with Jose Mourinho viewing the youngster as the perfect solution for his issues on the left side of central defence.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed on Sunday that both Spurs and Liverpool had shown interest in the 21-year-old during last month’s transfer window.

Botman’s Lille teammate Fonte has admitted that the former Ajax defender has surprised him since arriving at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in the summer.

When asked about the speculation about Botman’s future, the experienced centre-back told talkSPORT: “(Botman) is a top player.

“I must say I was surprised when he first arrived. I wasn’t expecting this level of quality, I was expecting a youngster with potential, but the guy is very composed; he’s mature for his age.

“He’s a defender, and by that I mean he likes to defend; he likes to play simple, he’s strong, he’s tall, he wins his duels, he doesn’t overcomplicate the game, he’s good on the ball, left-footed.

“He’s been doing extremely well since he arrived so yeah, no wonder there’s interest in him.

“It doesn’t surprise me (the speculation). Not at all. You can be sure he can play at the highest level.”

Spurs Web Opinion

That’s certainly a ringing endorsement from Fonte but I do not think Botman is the type of singing Mourinho will be looking for. While the Lille man certainly has plenty of talent and could develop into a top player in the future, I am convinced that Jose will want to bring in an experienced campaigner, who can be a real leader in our backline.

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