What can keep David in Lille? A costly price tag and a significant weakness

With several big clubs looking for a centre forward this summer, it’s surprising that none of them are more linked with Canadian international Jonathan David. Let’s take a look at whether David has grown into a player who could be looking for a more lucrative address, and what may be the reasons for the reticence of the biggest football clubs.

The transfer market for stud strikers is considered ‘challenging’. There is a broad consensus that with a plethora of clubs looking for midfield reinforcements, there are not many elite candidates to fill these spots. Even so, it is surprising that Jonathan David’s name is rather rarely among the speculation, and when it does, it is often met with only a shrug from the fans.

He grew up playing football in Lille

Without saying that David must leave Lille, it is necessary to point out his development in recent years. The Canadian international is currently a fresh 23 years old, but enjoys visibly less media attention than he did at the edge of his twenties. Three years ago he left KAA Gent, his first European destination after arriving from Ottawa. He wisely chose Lille then, where he was given room to grow as a player.

He has already surpassed his 13 goals in his first season and 15 in his second with 16 shots in the current season. But perhaps more importantly, and what was a cause for concern in the months following his move to Ligue 1, David has matched his goal contribution with his xG and has been scoring goals at the same rate that this metric attributes to him since the start of last season. This was not the case previously.

That’s one less concern off the list. David has also improved on the ball over the past two and a half years and is proving to be a steady worker without it. In addition, he has only spent 9 days on the DL in his career to date. However, he is still woeful in the air. He only wins a header roughly every third game, and with an aerial success rate of around 15%, there aren’t many worse headers among strikers.

This weakness, coupled with his ability to finish from different positions as well as play under the traditional number nine, has led to comparisons with players like Salah and Werner. We can find other similarities with both of these goalscorers. Similar to Werner, David also covers the wing spaces. We saw this especially last year when he played in a two-man attack. And he shares with both players the ability to bully the opposition’s defence with quick, direct runs behind the defensive line.

But it’s not just the right-footed speedster who is lethal (although he’s not shy about putting in a few goals a season with his left foot, either). Especially this year, when he plays as a lone striker, David runs down for through passes to send a charging teammate with his back to goal with a short pass into the space his movement has vacated. As long as it’s played on the ground, the less than 6’3″ David can be a good old ‘target man’ in the construction of his team.

If to go, then where?

Lille is certainly not a bad destination. After all, David became French champions in their jersey when they won Ligue 1 in the 20/21 season, an achievement they confirmed the following summer with a Super Cup triumph. This year, however, there is a real danger that Lille will not only fail to qualify for the Champions League, but for European competitions in general, as they sit in sixth, non-relegation place after playing 26 games.

At the same time, David has two years left on his contract and there is another factor at play. The upcoming domestic World Cup. Canada will be one of the co-hosts of the championship in 2026, giving David plenty of time to warm up in the meantime at a possible new address and minimizing the risk of going to the tournament without match practice.

Three clubs have been linked to his potential transfer: Manchester United, Arsenal and RB Leipzig.

Manchester United

The Red Devils are, as per tradition, linked with almost every player under the sun. This year, even more so with the top strikers. The headlines have been sending David to Manchester for several seasons now. Now, after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and with Anthony Martial’s constant injuries, it seems that Erik ten Hag will indeed bring in a striker this summer.

However, in all the competition being discussed, David doesn’t look like a hot candidate. Osimhen, Kane, or even Thuram are all being tipped far more often. Besides, the Dutch tactician already has a player in his team who prefers to run in behind the defence and finish clinically, in Marcus Rashford. Of course, a partnership between the pair could be formed with the English talisman as the main beneficiary, but there are more suitable candidates for that.

Arsenal

Arsenal London, a hot Premier League title contender, may also be looking for reinforcements at the tip of the attack. Unlike their rivals from the north, the Gunners have their number one in attack clear since this summer. Gabriel Jesus has strengthened the ranks of Mikel Arteta’s team and despite his current injury, it is hard to imagine that he will not return straight into the starting line-up after his recovery.

That’s also because his replacement, Eddie Nketiah, has been replaced in the line-up by Leando Trossard, a January signing from Brighton. This has cast a shadow over the young Englishman’s future in north London, although he only extended his contract until 2027 last summer. It also opens the door to speculation as to whether a new striker will arrive at the Emirates Stadium in the summer who the coach would trust more in the absence of Jesus.

However, that could be exactly the problem:: “in the absence of Jesus”. It is questionable whether the Brooklyn native, representing Canada, would accept the role of number two. Or whether Arsenal would willingly pay what Lille would demand for a player to expand the squad. Although, with Arsenal’s much-maligned lack of squad width and David’s versatility..

RB Leipzig

Leipzig and the payment of a hefty transfer fee? That would be news. The club’s transfer record is Naby Keita, for whom they sent just under €30m to sister club Salzburg. Lille paid almost the same amount for David when they brought him over from Gent. For his services, the French club should now demand less than double that, a sum in excess of €50m. This would be a transfer record for the recent Champions League semi-finalist.

Still, with several valuable sales in recent years and the expected departure of Christopher Nkunk, Marc Rose’s team could afford similar reinforcements. It would not only be a noticeable strengthening of the squad, but also send a signal: “We are serious!”, from a team whose next goal is to win the German Bundesliga.

However, Timo Werner could be a potential obstacle. Comparisons between the two players have already been made in the article, and Werner has barely returned to Germany. With six goals and three assists in just under 1,200 minutes, moreover, he certainly hasn’t made a bad start to the restart of his career.

However, it’s impossible not to notice that his partnership with another finisher just in the person of Nkunku is not as effective as it was before Werner’s departure to Chelsea.

However, if Rose decides that he can use David and Werner together, it could be an interesting move. Moreover, it doesn’t seem like David has a flood of offers to choose from. So an ambitious project near our western border may be the best transfer he can get. If he’s interested in a change of venue.

Sources: Ligue 1, LOSC Lille, Transfermarkt, FotMob, fbref, caughtoffside.com, smarterscout.com, Fabrizio Romano – Twitter