David closing in on choosing new club
Published
Jonathan David is apparently close to deciding where he will play next season. Sources close to David tell TSN the 25-year-old is set to make a decision in the next two-to-three weeks.
That updated timetable follows David posting a goodbye to his current club Lille on social media this week, the clearest indication of David’s desire to see out his five-year deal with the French club and leave Lille on a free transfer this summer. That also follows David’s agent Nick Mavromaras confirming to TSN European reports he recently had meetings with Italian league leaders Napoli.
This is now the biggest Canadian men’s soccer story, but there are few clues about David’s preferred destination. Since the Ottawa-native helped Lille lift the Ligue 1 title in 2020-2021, so many of Europe's marquee clubs -- like AC Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Juventus, Inter Milan, Liverpool, and Manchester United -- have taken turns sharing headlines with Canada’s men’s all-time leading goal-scorer.
But David’s apparent impending decision will have an immediate impact on his, and Canada’s, summer. Jesse Marsch and the CanMNT have a full summer ahead with the new Canadian Shield tournament in early June followed immediately by the Gold Cup on June 17.
TSN has heard for months that David is keen to play for Canada at the Gold Cup, and would be a candidate to captain Canada during the North American tournament, with Alphonso Davies still recovering from a knee injury and Stephen Eustáquio expected to play for FC Porto in June’s Fifa Club World Cup.
If David’s updated timeline holds, and he moves to a club not playing in the Club World Cup (such as Arsenal, Barcelona, or Liverpool), the chances of him playing in Gold Cup increase. But if his decision drags on, or he moves to a club playing in FIFA's summertime showpiece (with Chelsea, Inter and Juventus among those competing), the chances of David featuring for Canada come mid-June decrease.
For now, David is set to play for Lille one final time this weekend.
David and Lille face Stade Reims at home on Saturday in the final weekend of the French season. It will be another opportunity for Lille fans to express their affection for the Canadian forward. As part of Lille’s 80th anniversary earlier this season, David was included on a massive mural that honoured the team’s greatest-ever players.
David moved to Lille from Belgian side Gent in a $46 million transfer, a record for a Canadian, in the summer of 2020.
He leaves Lille with 109 goals in 231 games.