Jonathan David was widely regarded as one of the top striker prospects in club football. Despite Lille’s president confirming that he would be available for a move away from the Ligue 1 club, the deal never materialised.
On the night David tied Cyle Larin as Canada’s all-time top goal scorer, the 24-year-old stated that he is open to a move to the Premier League.
“I’m open to anything. I think obviously the Premier League is regarded as one of the best leagues in the world. And for me, it’s not the Premier League or bust. I’m open to anything and every league has its challenges,” said David to The Athletic.
David joined the French club in 2021 and has gone on to make 190 appearances for his side. He has hit the back of the net 87 times and provided 20 assists during the past three years. Alongside a solid club career, David has made 54 appearances for the national team whilst scoring 28 goals, he has also been rejuvenated into an important focal point of his team under the leadership of Jesse Marsch.
He went on to reveal that even though a move was on, a finalised deal could not be struck which saw him continue his tenure at the club.
“It just didn’t happen. There were a couple of offers and we just didn’t finish the deal, that’s it. I spoke to a couple of teams. I spoke with coaches. But ultimately (David and his camp) made the decision to stay,” David said.
Now that David will be staying at the Ligue 1 club this season, for whom he has already scored two goals and provided two assists in just four games this season, he enters the final year of his contract which leaves Lille at the risk of seeing him leave as a free agent next summer. The Canadian confirmed that his camp is in talks with Lille’s president about a possible extension as well.
“What am I waiting for? I guess now it’s easier to say. I’m in the last year of my contract. Eventually, my contract is going to run out. So then we’ll see. We’ll see what happens next year. Well, right now we’re speaking with the (Lille President Oliver Letang) about a possible extension,” he added.