Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are reportedly scrapping it out to sign Lille striker Jonathan David in the summer transfer window.
Lille striker Jonathan David is reportedly at the heart of a fierce four-way Premier League battle ahead of his expected exit from the Ligue 1 giants.
The Canada international – who is currently away with the Canucks at the Copa America – has been tipped to leave Lille for the past couple of seasons, often publicly by his agent.
Now about to enter the last 12 months of his contract with Les Dogues, David’s exit this summer is seen as inevitable, as Lille are determined not to lose him on a free in 2025.
Winning the Ligue 1 title in his first season at the club, the 24-year-old has proven himself to be a clinical marksman during his time at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, contributing 84 goals and 18 assists from 183 games in all tournaments.
David struck 19 times in Ligue 1 last season – level with Alexandre Lacazette and only behind Kylian Mbappe – and netted 26 goals in all tournaments, but Lille have apparently accepted that they will suffer a financial loss on him.
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A £22.8m arrival from Belgian side Gent in the summer of 2020, David could supposedly be let go for just £20m in the current transfer window due to his contract situation, putting four teams on red alert.
According to The Guardian, all of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have ‘made checks’ on the Canada international, although the Blues’ interest appears to be the most advanced.
Chelsea sporting director Paul Winstanley has supposedly had his eye on David for a while and wanted to bring him to England while he was working for Brighton & Hove Albion, although that move did not materialise.
The Blues are expected to wrap up the £5m signing of Barcelona teenager Marc Guiu in the near future, but his arrival will not affect their pursuit of a more seasoned number nine for Enzo Maresca‘s debut campaign.
Meanwhile, Tottenham failed to fill the Harry Kane void last year and are pursuing a new striker too, but Man United may only make their move if a swoop for Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee falls through.
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West Ham’s interest could be scuppered by David’s wage demands, though, as the Canadian would become their highest-paid player, but the Irons are not out of the running just yet.
What will David bring to the Premier League?
At 5ft 11in tall, David does not possess the frame of a true target man, but the 24-year-old has become renowned for his ruthlessness in the final third during his time in Ligue 1.
According to data from FBRef, David ranks in the 98th percentile for shots on target versus all strikers in the top five leagues over the past 365 days – hitting the mark with 56.6% of his attempts and scoring 0.22 goals per shot, also in the top 10%.
The 24-year-old could also excel in a playmaking capacity for his new club, having registered a pass completion rate of 82% over the past year, putting him in the top 3% of all strikers.