As reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, Chelsea have held talks with the representatives of LOSC Lille centre-forward Jonathan David about a potential move this summer.
The Blues are yet to make a formal approach, but Ornstein notes that they have a good working relationship with Lille’s owners Merlyn Partners, given that Todd Boehly’s company BlueCo have also recently taken over fellow-Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.
Born in Brooklyn, David began his senior career with Gent in Belgium, scoring 37 goals in 83 appearances for De Buffalo’s, before moving to LOSC Lille for €30 million in 2020.
With les Dogues, he’s won a Ligue 1 title and a Trophée des Champions, netting 84 times in 183 appearances, scoring 26 times in all competitions last season, as Lille finished fourth in Ligue 1 and reached the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals.
Given that his contract expires next summer, David is extremely likely to leave Northern France during this transfer window, with Inter Milan most heavily-linked in recent months.
However, Chelsea appear to have stolen a march on their rivals after opening talks to sign David. Transfermarkt values the striker at £42m so he should also be available at a reasonable fee.
Jonathan David will be on the move but not just yet
Jonathan David is a key player for his national team Canada, so any potential transfer will surely have to wait a week or two.
Since bagging a brace on his debut against the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2018, David has scored 26 times in 48 caps for les Rouges, nine of which came in World Cup qualifying, as they ended their 36-year World Cup exile in Qatar.
This makes him Canada’s second-highest goal-scorer of all-time, three behind strike partner Cyle Larin.
The pair led the line together as the Canucks were beaten 2-0 by Argentina in the opening game of Copa América last Thursday, still to face Peru at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City on Tuesday and then Chile at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando on Saturday, very much believing they can reach the quarter-finals on debut.
Chelsea in the market for a new striker
Striker is clearly an area new head coach Enzo Maresca is looking to strengthen, with Nicolas Jackson, Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana his current senior options. Jacob Steinberg in the Guardian claims Chelsea are eager to sell Broja to Everton, while Fofana’s future is also uncertain, following a loan spell at Burnley.
Already this summer, the Blues have attempted to sign Jhon Durán from Aston Villa, while Adam Leventhal writes in The Athletic they’d like to bring academy graduate Dominic Solanke back to Stamford Bridge, although his own release clause of £65 million means a move for the Bournemouth striker is unlikely to come to fruition.
