Chelsea face a battle with Newcastle United in the race to sign LOSC Lille striker Jonathan David, according to CalcioMercato.com via Spanish outlet Fichajes.com.
The 23-year-old is already on the radar of some of the biggest teams in Europe. The report says Chelsea are showing a keen interest and are ready to bid of around £51m for the Canada international.
However, the West London club face stiff competition for David’s signature. According to CalcioMercato via Fichajes, Seire A giants Inter Milan and AC Milan are also eyeing a move for the striker while Newcastle United are the latest to express their interest.
Newcastle have new-found financial might. The Magpies were able to pry Sandro Tonali away from Milan this summer. It was a surprising move, considering the Italian was one of the Rossoneri’s most significant assets.
Therefore, Chelsea cannot take Newcastle lightly in the pursuit of David. The Lille star has been brilliant in Ligue 1 over the last few years. Considering the attacker’s consistency, top teams will queue up for him in the coming transfer windows.
David signed for Lille in the summer of 2020 from Gent. Since then, the striker has gone from strength to strength. In the previous campaign, the forward showcased his goalscoring prowess after scoring 24 league goals.
Chelsea’s attacking woes
Chelsea have struggled up front for some time now. The Blues have not had a proper goalscoring number nine since Diego Costa. Romelu Lukak was supposed to be the answer to their issues, but he has struggled and spent the last few years out on loan.
Christopher Nkuknku’s injury during pre-season derailed Chelsea’s plans. Mauricio Pochettino has had to rely on Nicolas Jackson to lead the line at the start of the new season. While the Senegalese has been promising, he has been wasteful in the final third and is still developing.
Therefore, Chelsea could do with more quality in the forward line. David is an exciting option for the Blues but they will face stiff competition from the likes of Newcastle as well as from Italy.
