Sven Botman’s playstyle dissected
Sven Botman has impressed since singing for Lille from Ajax in 2020.
“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.”
Six months of pursuing Sven Botman has paid off for Newcastle United, as the club have announced the signing of the young centre back in a deal in the region of €37m plus add ons.
The Magpies battled Italian giants AC Milan for Botman but Milan were forced to pull out of the deal as they could not match Newcastle’s bid.
Botman has been Eddie Howe’s number one centre back target since January and he will be delighted that the club have finally got their man.
Despite him most likely replacing Dan Burn in the starting eleven, Newcastle are not losing his physical presence in defence, with Botman measuring at 6’5 and winning an almost identical percentage of aerial duels (73.3%) to the Blyth born defender (73.2%) over the course of their respective league campaigns.
Botman won a higher percentage of headers last season compared to 6’7 Dan Burn.
As with Bruno Guimaraes, Botman has been thoroughly scouted by the club to ensure that he will adapt to the Premier League and due to his superb physical strength, the physicality of English football should not faze the Dutchman.
However, perhaps the most impressive aspect of Botman’s play is his level of quality whilst on the ball.
Howe’s style of play explicitly requires his centre backs to be very comfortable on the ball, shown by the inclusion of Fabian Schar over Jamaal Lascelles and the signing of Dan Burn in January.
The 22-year-old excels compared to the current Toon defenders when it comes to Pass Completion Percentage, producing an 89% pass completion rate throughout the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season.
Botman’s ability on the ball makes him a dream centre back for Eddie Howe’s system.
As well as being a reliable passer of the ball, Botman is also able to step up from defence into midfield whilst carrying the ball.
Throughout their 2021/22 league campaigns, Burn only carried the ball a Progressive distance of 73 yards per 90 compared to Botman’s average of 111 yards per 90.
With Newcastle looking to play more on the front foot under Howe, it is evident why he has been desperate to sign the Dutchman.
His ability to carry the ball and push up into midfield allows his side to control the game easier, something which Newcastle struggled with last season, failing to win home games against Norwich, Watford and Leeds.
However, possessing a player of Botman’s quality will allow the club to control games like these more effectively.
As well as his luxury assets on the ball, Botman’s defensive capabilities are also up to standard.
The former Ajax man won an average of one tackle per 90 minutes last season, higher than both of the Toon’s main centre back pairing from last year.
Botman’s ability on the ball doesn’t take away from his effectiveness in defence.
At only 22 years of age, it is evident why Botman was so heavily sought after, not just by Newcastle, but by clubs all over Europe.
As the saga draws to a close, all those involved with the club can breathe a sigh of relief as Sven Botman eventually signs the dotted line whilst sporting the famous black and white stripes.