What’s next for Jonathan David?

Buying a high-quality striker usually costs a lot of money, so when one becomes available as a free agent, naturally there is plenty of interest.

This summer, Jonathan David will be available for no transfer fee after announcing last week he will leave French top-flight side Lille at the end of his contract.

“I wanted to tell you myself that, after so many years at the club, it’s time for me to say goodbye,” David said in his announcement video. “I’ve spent five wonderful seasons here. I know it hasn’t always been easy, but I hope that with my goals and celebrations, I’ve managed to bring you some joy, especially with the French championship title and the Champions Trophy.”

The 25-year-old will not officially be able to sign for his new club until July 1 — unless somebody playing in the upcoming Club World Cup strikes a deal with Lille that allows him to join them during the early transfer window — but the race for his services has been underway for a while already.

At a time when the No 9 market is not bursting with viable elite options, due to either availability or cost, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why there has been so much interest in David.

The 61-time Canada international scored 25 goals and provided 12 assists in 49 club appearances in all competitions this season, continuing his excellent goalscoring form over recent campaigns — it is the third consecutive season he has finished with at least 25 club goals.

David started out playing amateur football in Canada, after his family moved there from Haiti when he was a boy, before he came to Europe with Belgium’s Gent, making his senior debut for them aged 18 in August 2018. Two seasons later, he sealed a €30million (£25.3m/$33.8m at current exchange rates) switch to Lille, who he helped win the French title in his first year in Ligue 1. Now, after 109 goals in 232 appearances, he is ready for a new challenge.

His biggest strength is his consistency in front of goal.

As the shot map below illustrates, since the start of the 2022-23 season, a large portion of his goals have been scored from in and around the six-yard box. David’s high expected goal (xG) per shot figure (0.17) over such a large sample size tells us he is repeatedly able to get into positions which generate good-quality chances.

Lille are not such a force in Ligue 1 that they annually rival Paris Saint-Germain’s dominant status as serial title winners but have mostly been involved in the fight for Champions League qualification during David’s time with them. Comparing his non-penalty expected goals figure to the amount he’s actually scored reflects that, as the number of chances falling his way can vary.

During 2024-25, he struggled for consistent opportunities. But looking across several seasons, he consistently finished with a total above expectation and did not often go through dry spells where he wasn’t finding the net.

There is more to David than just goals, too. He is an effective and willing presser, showcased most during that first season in France, when he partnered Turkish veteran Burak Yilmaz in Christophe Galtier’s 4-4-2 system. His role changed when Paulo Fonseca took over in summer 2022, with the Portuguese turning him into an all-action No 9 tasked with providing more penalty-box presence and carrying greater goalscoring responsibility.

What hasn’t changed is David’s impressive ability to drop deeper and link with his midfielders to help move Lille up the pitch. That is emphasised by the number of touches he has per shot (14.4) compared to a lot of his striking peers.

While there will be no transfer fee required to secure his services, the subsequent impact on signing bonuses and agents’ payments (they normally go up) means these free-agent deals are not cheap. The potential cost of the overall package is thought to be the sticking point for several of the clubs who have monitored the talented forward in recent years.

“Knowing Johnny, he is going to want to play (wherever he goes),” Canada coach Jesse Marsch told reporters on Monday afternoon during the Concacaf Gold Cup’s media day. “He’s going to want to go to the best club he can be at. The most important thing for him is, it’s not good if he goes somewhere and then he has to play on the bench a lot and not get minutes to keep himself sharp and fit and ready to go, especially with the World Cup being a year away.”

So, where could David end up?

Given that the man himself has kept his desire to one day play for Barcelona no secret, we may as well start with the newly-crowned La Liga champions. Robert Lewandowski continues to be a constant source of goals, but he turns 37 early next season, while Ferran Torres has been a different proposition for opponents when selected.

As The Athletic has explored, the Catalan side would offer a pretty seamless stylistic transition as they play in a similar way to how Lille have this season. Frankly, anybody playing up front in between Lamine Yamal and Raphinha should not be struggling for goalscoring opportunities.

Barca are far from the only European club to have tracked David as his contract in France entered the final months. Juventus, Inter, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich are all known admirers on the continent, and in England, new champions Liverpool and Aston Villa are known to rate him.

David’s agents have been spotted in Italy, and of the clubs in Serie A, this season’s would-be champions Napoli have shown the most interest, with reports suggesting they have already made an offer. Napoli could use additional striker depth as they prepare to return to European football next season after missing out this time. If Antonio Conte stays on as coach and they play 3-5-2 again, which Conte has alternated with 4-3-3, an extra layer of support for Romelu Lukaku and Giacomo Raspadori would be required. That might suit David’s desire for a role which allows him freedom to roam — operating as a second striker, for example.

Napoli’s title rivals and next weekend’s Champions League finalists Inter have been heavily linked with him in recent weeks too. With Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, they also operate with two strikers and David would provide quality competition in a system that again would be suited to his wishes.

Milan have long been linked with David due to their past dealings with Lille, signing Mike Maignan and Rafael Leao from them previously. Fellow striker Alvaro Morata was bought last summer, but then got loaned out in the winter window. Santiago Gimenez, who arrived at mid-season, is the current first choice up front, with Tammy Abraham and Luka Jovic in reserve. Juventus do not have an option to sign January loanee Randal Kolo Muani permanently from Paris Saint-Germain, and though sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli would have liked a reunion with Victor Osimhen following his season out on loan at Galatasaray – the pair worked together at Napoli – the former has said publicly that it’s not happening.

Tottenham Hotspur invested significantly in Dominic Solanke last summer to lead their forward line. Their £65million ($86.9m at the current rate) club-record signing has scored 15 goals in 43 appearances so far in his debut season and is also integral to the way head coach Ange Postecoglou’s side press their opponents.

Richarlison has been Solanke’s backup but has now gone through two injury-plagued seasons, so there is a question mark surrounding his future. Interest from Spurs in David makes sense, but he would have to usurp Solanke to be considered their first-choice striker — for Postecoglou or any new manager who might be in the dugout come August.

(Francois Lo Presti/AFP via Getty Images)

Across north London, it is well-documented that Arsenal are gearing up to add a striker in the summer due to the problems they have encountered in front of goal and with injuries this season. David is a player their manager Mikel Arteta is aware of but he is not thought to be high on their list, with the likes of Sporting CP’s Victor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig more likely additions.

Chelsea have also monitored his situation and are in the market for a striker to compete with Nicolas Jackson. As with London rivals Arsenal, David is on their shortlist but not at the top of it. A new No 9 is viewed as a priority, and they want someone with a skill set similar to Jackson’s — good hold-up and link play and the ability to stretch defences  — but ideally with more goals to their game. Chelsea did speak to David’s camp last summer.

Graham Potter’s first summer as West Ham United coach will give him the chance to shape the squad he inherited in January more in his image and they have also been linked with David. The Canadian’s comments about wanting to play Champions League football immediately make the east London club a trickier sell, as they won’t be able to offer him any form of European action in his debut season. However, David’s representatives held talks with West Ham’s hierarchy earlier this year and their interest has been long-standing, dating back to January 2021.

There will be plenty for David to consider over the coming months as a string of clubs look to persuade him that they are the best destination for him.

Whoever wins that race, and can meet his financial demands, will be getting themselves a proven goalscorer who can do plenty more besides sticking the ball in the net.

(Top photo: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)

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