Jonathan David has his admirers at Aston Villa and beyond, but is yet to find a new club
Lille striker Jonathan David
Lille striker Jonathan David(Image: Getty Images)
Long linked with Aston Villa, Jonathan David's future remains uncertain, even though he is available on a free transfer this summer.
The Canadian striker has not signed a new contract with Lille and has reportedly been in talks with several clubs about joining as a free agent.
David is known to have admirers at Villa, as well as at numerous other clubs across Europe and the Premier League.
In May, L’Équipe reported that both Villa and Tottenham were keen on signing David, amid additional interest from Napoli and Juventus.
Villa have a track record of securing top free agents in recent summer windows, including Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans.
However, while no transfer fee is involved, free agents often command substantial signing-on bonuses.
According to Gazzetta, David has yet to finalise a move to Juventus because his camp is reportedly demanding €15 million in commissions.
Although there is currently a stand-off, a breakthrough is expected, with Juventus viewed as the likely destination.
It remains unclear whether Villa were ever seriously intent on pursuing David this summer, especially as the club needs to reduce its wage bill this summer.
Free agents typically command high wages to compensate for the lack of a transfer fee.
But last summer, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed that Villa were keen to pursue a move at that time.
Writing in his daily briefing in September 2024, Romano explained: "David was one of the players that was most enquired about this summer, from many teams.
"It looked like Aston Villa would go after him with everything they had, but the deal never came off because they could not find an agreement with either the player or the club."
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