Barcelona and Real Madrid will reportedly face stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain in the race to sign Jonathan David in the summer.
According to a report by Le10Sport, the race to sign Jonathan David from Lille in the summer transfer window continues to heat up. Barcelona and Real Madrid have Paris Saint-Germain for company in pursuit of the Canadian striker, who will leave Lille after the ongoing season ends.
Jonathan David has taken Ligue 1 by storm since joining LOSC Lille from KAA Gent in August 2020. Last season, the 21-year-old made an immediate impact at Stade Pierre Mauroy, playing a pivotal role in Les Dogues’ shock league triumph ahead of Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite Lille’s downfall in the ongoing campaign, the Canadian international has continued to go from strength to strength, scoring 16 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions. But David is set to leave Lille in the summer transfer window to take the next step in his career, with his situation capturing the attention of Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG.
Barcelona will have to enter the transfer market for a striker in the summer transfer window. Martin Braithwaite and Luuk de Jong are likely to depart Camp Nou, leaving Xavi Hernandez without a recognised striker at his disposal. Following Sergio Aguero’s premature retirement, the Barcelona manager is already short of quality options to lead the line.
While signing Erling Haaland is their priority, Barcelona will need to keep their options open as the Borussia Dortmund striker is a target for all the high profile clubs in Europe. David has thus emerged as a viable target for the Blaugrana, who will have to fend off competition from arch-rivals Real Madrid in his pursuit.
Like Barcelona, the Merengues are also hot on Haaland’s trail but are laying down a contingency plan. And while there is no stopping Karim Benzema at the moment, the fact that he is 34 years old will not be lost on Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, thereby explaining the interest in David.
But Barcelona and Real Madrid will face stiff competition from PSG in pursuit of the 21-year-old. The French giants are in a precarious situation over the long-term future of Kylian Mbappe, a target for Real Madrid. At the same time, Mauro Icardi is likely to leave PSG this year, with Barcelona among his suitors.
David is an option worth considering for PSG to that end, with the Lille striker yet to make a final decision on his future. The Canadian international is also a target for several Premier League heavyweights, meaning a major transfer battle will be on the cards in the summer transfer window.
