Jonathan David: Is there demand for Lille’s Canadian striker?

Man United last interested 

The transfer window will close in less than a week, and Lille striker Jonathan David will likely stay put. In many ways, a remarkable development considering that the Canadian men’s national team striker has been in great form this season, scoring 13 goals and four assists in 21 games across all competitions. David also represented Canada at the World Cup, where he was without a goal in three games. 

But despite David’s prolific goalscoring record, appearances at the World Cup, and a significant demand for strikers, there are no substantial rumors linking the 23-year-old to anyone. A brief glimpse in the rumor mill highlights that the last significant story linking David to any club dates back to October when Manchester United were apparently interested.

Instead of signing David, however, Man United opted to loan Wout Weghorst from Burnley. The Dutch striker represents the type of forward clubs have been looking for this winter—a typical no.9, of sizeable height and build and with power in the box. Arsenal, who have also been linked in the past, seem more interested in a winger and have already secured Leandro Trossard after signing Gabriel Jesus in the summer. Another interested club were West Ham, but the Hammers have since signed experienced center forward Danny Ings. 

Jonathan David: Too expensive for an in-between step?

All of the above suggests that David (contract until 2025) will stay put in Lille until at least the summer. But the market might not be any easier for a striker who peaked at €50m market value in Deember. 2021 and then dropped at €45m, where he has since plateaued—still making him the most valuable Canadian player in the World behind Bayern’s Alphonso Davies. That market value, however, is still significant and prices out a considerable portion of clubs outside of the Premier League. 

History has shown that a move away from Ligue 1 to Serie A or the Bundesliga might be necessary for David to achieve his Premier League dream. The problem is that comparable Bundesliga players like Marcus Thuram (for €9m from Guingamp to Gladbach), Christopher Nkunku (for €13m from PSG to Leipzig), and Randal Kolo Muani (on a free from Nantes to Frankfurt) all moved to Germany on a low fee or even for free. Those three players are also more multifunctional than David and Thuram, in particular, will be available on a free transfer this summer. 

In fact, it almost feels like there is a lock jam in the striker market at the moment. A lock jam made worse by Lille’s history of selling players for sizeable fees. The club sold Nicolas Pépé for €80m to Arsenal and Victor Osimhen—the very player David replaced—for €75m to Napoli. Osimhen has been the source of transfer speculation, and perhaps his transfer will move the market once again, with a door opening for David in Italy. But for now, the market for David is difficult.

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