Jonathan David profile: Man Utd, Tottenham, Chelsea all in contention for absolute bargain

TEAMtalk takes an in-depth look into the career so far of top Premier League striker target Jonathan David, who looks increasingly likely to head to England this summer.

For several years now, Jonathan David has been linked with a move to one of the Premier League’s top clubs. Finally, this summer it appears the Canadian striker’s long-anticipated move to England’s top flight will happen.

And when it does, whichever team that wins the hotly contested race for his signature could be landing the bargain of the transfer window.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham have all been credited with a firm interest in the 24-year-old. And as TEAMtalk exclusively revealed, Newcastle United are working to take the prolific centre-forward to St. James’ Park.

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Ordinarily, when such an array of top-level clubs are vying for the same target, the selling teams can exploit the situation and ramp up the player’s price by initiating a bidding war. In this instance, though, David’s current club, Lille, have little leverage due to the fact their star striker has only 12 months remaining on his contract. As such, it is believed David could be available for as little as £25 million.

And for such a small fee by current transfer market standards, David’s next club will be getting a whole lot of quality.

David scored 19 goals for Lille last season in 34 Ligue 1 appearances, while also equalling a career-best return of four assists. Across all competitions, he notched a tally of 26 goals for the second successive campaign as he helped Les Douges finish fourth in the French top division and reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Canada from the age of six, David made his name in European football with Gent. He joined the Belgian side aged 18 after unsuccessful trials with Red Bull Salzburg and Stuttgart.

He made his senior debut in August 2018 and went to record and impressive return of 12 goals from 33 appearances in the Belgian top flight. In his second season with Gent, he finished as the top scorer in Belgium, with 18 league goals and 23 in all competitions.

Lille snap up David as perfect Osimhen replacement

That form sparked Lille’s interest in the then-20-year-old striker. The French side had recently sold star striker Victor Osimhen to Napoli for €70 million. Having identified David as the ideal replacement due to his pace, one-v-one ability and deadly finishing, they paid €30 million to take him to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

And, after overcoming a slow start to life in France, David lived up to his billing. A first goal didn’t arrive until late November, but he finished his maiden Ligue 1 season with a respectable tally of 13 strikes from 37 games to help Lille claim the Ligue 1 title. He improved his tally to 15 goals the following season.

It was in the 2022-23 campaign that David truly took off. With 26 goals in 47 games, he announced himself as one of the brightest young strikers in Europe. He also demonstrated the ideal skillset for a centre-forward in the modern game, showcasing not only speed, sound decision making and intelligent passing on the ball but also a diligent work ethic

defensively and a finely tuned approach to pressing from the frontline. It was little wonder that from the summer of 2023 Premier League interest intensified.

His readiness for the highest echelons of the European game is evidenced by his outstanding international record, too. With 27 goals from 53 appearances for Canada, his is just two goals behind strike partner Cyle Larin as the North America nation’s all-time leading scorer. Larin is five years older than David and has played an extra 20 senior international games.

“There’s always a lot of noise,” David said about his future on a podcast with Larin after the pair helped Canada on a remarkable run to the semi-finals of the Copa America this month. “But I’m still here. I’m still at Lille. From there, we’ll see if I end up going back to Lille for preseason or if I’m somewhere else. I don’t know.

“Things are obviously moving slow. I think things are going at the right pace.

“Obviously, I think everyone sees there’s a lot of clubs interested. Right now I’m still waiting for an offer to be put on the table to Lille. Then after, I’ll have to make a choice and make the right choice, whether it’s to leave or to stay or what team do I pick, really.”

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The Premier League is not the only option David is considering. According to reports in Italy, Napoli and champions Inter are interested in the former Gent star. And AC Milan’s appointment of Paulo Fonseca, with whom David worked previously at Lille, has fuelled speculation that the Rossoneri could jump to the front of the line of clubs making advances for the in-demand forward.

Wherever he lands this summer, David’s price tag will make him a low-risk option and his skillset will ensure he has every chance of succeeding.