Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa are preparing a move to sign Jonathan David from Juventus this summer, according to reports in Italy.
David was snapped up by Juve on a free transfer last summer after his contract with Lille came to an end. But just one year on he could be on the move again.
There was a lot of interest in David during last summer's transfer window, because of his impressive showing for Lille in Ligue Un, where he scored 25 goals and laid on 12 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions for the French side.
A number of Premier League clubs were linked with a move, but the Canadian chose to make the move to Italy, where things have not quite gone to plan for him.
Jonathan David Has Not Had The Best Of Times In Turin
jonathan david
The 26-year-old has struggled to usurp Dusan Vlahovic as the number one striker in Turin, with only 16 of his 28 matches for the Old Lady coming as starts.
He did go through a purple patch around the turn of the year, with four goals and three assists in seven matches from the end of December to the beginning of February, but he has not produced a goal contribution since then.
GIVEMESPORT reported last week that Manchester United had opened talks with the striker's intermediaries over a summer move, but now Villa are in the picture for his signing too.
David, who has been described as 'one of the best strikers in the world' previously, has also been labelled as a "phenom" by Canadian media personality Tony Marinaro.
Aston Villa Will Have To Fight Off Manchester United To Sign David
Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick walks to his seat
Calciomercato report that David already has his bags packed and is ready to leave Juventus this summer and that Villa could complete a deal ahead of Manchester United this summer, given their relationship with the Italian giants.
Villa sold Douglas Luiz to Juve in 2024, only to then bring him back to Villa Park in the January transfer window. Unai Emery's side have also signed Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea from the Turin club in recent seasons.
David is understood to be available for a fee between €15million and €18million (£13million to £15.5million) this summer, which given his age and the free move in the summer, should not deter the likes of Villa or United in their attempts to sign him.
We asked AI if that would represent a good deal for Villa or not.
Would Jonathan David Be A Cost Effective Signing For Villa?
Jonathan David
ChatGPT said: "His usual market value is much higher. If Juventus were willing to sell for €15-18million it would mainly be because they signed him on a free transfer and could still make a profit.
"From a pure financial perspective, Villa would be buying him at about half his typical value. David is 26 years old, meaning he’s entering his peak years as a striker. Villa would likely get four to six top seasons out of him if he adapts well to the Premier League.
"Under Unai Emery, Villa often use quick transitions and mobile forwards. David is known for intelligent movement in the box, clinical finishing, pressing and off-ball work. That profile fits well alongside attackers like Ollie Watkins or in a rotating forward line.
"If Aston Villa could truly sign Jonathan David for around £15million, it would likely be one of the best value striker deals in the market."