Lille defender Sven Botman is an 'unrealistic target' for Wolverhampton Wanderers at this moment in time after missing out on him in the summer, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.
The 22-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from the Stade Pierre Mauroy in recent weeks, and Newcastle United have already seen a £30 million bid rejected for the centre-back.
What is the latest news involving Botman?
Wolves were amongst the sides credited with an interest in Botman ahead of the January transfer window, with Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb claiming AS Roma, AC Milan and the Magpies were also amongst his potential suitors.
However, the 6 foot 5 beast now appears set to stay put in northern France after Lille made it clear they will not let their prized asset depart this month.
According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, the reigning Ligue 1 champions have so far declined to hold talks with any interested party and are determined to keep hold of Botman until the end of the season.
Les Dogues are competing in the knockout stage of the Champions League next month when they take on Chelsea and have relayed their decision to the Dutch Under-21 international.
Lille have already sold a handful of their top talents since winning the league last term as they look to clear some of their €100m (£83.5m) debt, but they are reluctant for Botman to follow suit just yet.
Get French Football News claim it would take a bid of £45m for them to let the former Ajax academy graduate go, a figure that is likely to be out of Wolves' price range.
Therefore, O'Rourke believes it's unlikely that Botman will be making the switch to Molineux any time soon.
What has O'Rourke said about Botman?
Botman was hot property last summer after he played a pivotal part in Lille securing their first top-flight title in 10 years, forming a formidable partnership alongside Jose Fonte at the heart of defence.
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The youngster has carried that form over into the current campaign, making 18 appearances in all competitions, and O'Rourke has claimed his inflated price tag has ruled Wolves out of the running for now.
He told GiveMeSport: “They were interested in Sven Botman last summer but weren't able to sign him. Obviously, his price tag has gone up, so he seems a bit of an unrealistic target right now.”
Do Wolves need a centre-back?
Currently, Wolves only have club captain Conor Coady and Max Kilman as available options at centre-back.
Romain Saiss is on international duty with Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Willy Boly is yet to feature in the Premier League this season due to injury issues.
As a result, Lage recently admitted that 'the priority' for Wolves this window is to sign a new centre-back as he looks to bolster his depleted backline.
Read More - January Transfer Window 2022: When does it open, when does it close and which players are going to move?