Newcastle United are awaiting the green light for Dan Ashworth to start work but the biggest hurdle have been overcome after agreeing compensation with Brighton & Hove Albion during what was a busy Monday at St James' Park.
United are confident the Premier League's process to pass Ashworth as incoming sporting director will go through smoothly and he can start work soon. Whether it comes quick enough to intervene on a possible deal for Lille defender Sven Botman remains to be seen.
Sources in Italy have indicated that AC Milan still retain confidence in getting a deal done for the Dutchman but with a takeover still in the balance there is still a chance that another club could steal in and grab the Holland Under-21 star. Botman is actually on duty with the Dutch U21s until June 11 and has three fixtures with his country in the European Championship qualifiers.
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Milan are hoping that RedBird Capital will soon acquire a 70% stake in the Serie A champions with supremo Gerry Cardinale due in Italy next week. It will be then, with current stakeholders Elliott Management set to keep 30%, that Cardinale will sign preliminary paperwork.
But until then Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara won't know their exact budget - which may make the €30million plus add ons deal uncertain until the new backers are through the door. The timeframe between Ashworth getting the go ahead and Milan getting clarity on spending could prove crucial as far as Botman is concerned.
The Premier League have been approached for comment and asked about how long approval should take.
