Aston Villa and West Ham are reportedly readying big offers to sign Lille forward Jonathan David.
The Lowdown: David profiled
David, primarily a centre-forward who can also play as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder, has been with Lille since 2020. [Transfermarkt]
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Valued at £45m, the Canada international has scored 30 goals in 94 appearances for the Ligue 1 side and has an impressive record for his country, netting 20 times in 30 games.
Labelled as ‘fearless’ by Canada manager John Herdman, the two-footed forward is under contract in France until 2025, but it looks as if a summer exit could be on the cards.
The Latest: Villa ready to write ‘big cheque’
Sports Witness relayed a story from a French outlet regarding David on Thursday. They claim that both Villa and West Ham stand out in a long list of potential buyers, adding that they are ‘likely’ to write a ‘big cheque’ for his services.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and PSG are also name-checked in the report, with a €50m (£42.5m) fee mooted.
The Verdict: Watkins replacement?
It looks as if both Villa and West Ham are willing to spend big on a forward ahead of the 2022/23 season, with the Hammers actually keen on Ollie Watkins.
Reports in recent days have stated that David Moyes’ side are eyeing up a move for the forward this summer, with Villa looking to make a substantial profit on the 26-year-old.
So, should West Ham come in with a bid for Watkins, NSWE could then put those funds towards a move for David, who now has Champions League experience and has netted at least 13 league goals in each of the past three seasons, turning out in a variety of attacking roles.
In other news: NSWE now close to agreeing deal for another midfielder alongside Coutinho.