Arsenal are keeping close tabs on Lille striker Jonathan David as he nears the end of his contract with the Ligue 1 club, with little sign that he’s going to pen a new deal.
Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that the Gunners have David as a name high up on their list of targets as they continue to keep an eye out for opportunities to strengthen up front.
The priority for Arsenal remains Benjamin Sesko, but the RB Leipzig striker is anticipated to attract a long list of suitors from the Premier League and elsewhere in Europe next summer, so it makes sense for club bosses at the Emirates Stadium to keep an eye out for alternatives.
David is one of those, with the Canada international also impressing other top clubs in recent times, with Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan also understood to be monitoring him at the moment.
David transfer could free up former Arsenal target Vlahovic
Sources have also suggested that David moving to Juventus could free up former Arsenal target Dusan Vlahovic to leave the club, though it is not yet clear if the Gunners remain interested in signing the Serbia international despite well-documented previous efforts.
Vlahovic has not been at his best for Juve, so David could be an upgrade, though it will be interesting to see if Serie A can prove as tempting to the 24-year-old as the Premier League, not to mention the chance to live in London.
Many modern footballers will think about lifestyle off the pitch as well as what clubs offer on it, so that’s always likely to be an important factor in Arsenal’s favour.
For now, David has not decided on his future and is understood to be keeping his options open and taking his time, with a new contract with Lille also not being entirely ruled out, with the French side also open to negotiating a release clause in any potential new deal.
Top photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
David is not the type of striker Arsenal needs right now. That’s horrible. Gyokeres is ready in January for a lower fee. GO AND GET HIM and stop all this talk about a sub-standard striker. Arsenal is already above that standard