Renato Sanches is closer than Sven Botman to join Milan as Manchester United and Newcastle United are said to have surpassed the red and blacks for the Dutch defender.

Milan are looking for a new central midfielder as Franck Kessie will join Barcelona as a free agent.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sanches is Milan’s primary target and the Portuguese midfielder is close to moving to the San Siro.

His agent, Jorge Mendes has already reached an agreement with the Serie A champions, who are now trying to agree a transfer fee with Lille.

Milan has negotiated with the Ligue 1 team for Botman as well. The Dutch defender has also given the green light to join the red and blacks.

However, talks have been going on for a long time and there is a feeling that Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara will not be able to match Lille’s asking price.

Manchester United and Newcastle are closely monitoring the defender and have more financial resources than Milan to persuade Lille to sell their star.

Botman confirmed ongoing talks with the Reds earlier this week and his agent had reached an agreement with Milan during a transfer meeting held in February.