Jonathan David, clear message to Italian suitors

Jonathan David poised to become the next man-marketer

The friendly played Saturday between Lille (fifth in the last Ligue 1) and Belgians Cercle Brugge (eighth in last year’s Pro League) ended in a dominant 7-2 win for LOSC, led by a striker who could become the next man-marketer, Jonathan David.

In fact, the Canadian scored as many as four of his team’s seven goals, making clubs that already had his name on their notebooks for this summer’s soccer market squint, including three Italians: AC Milan, Juventus and Napoli.

The Rossoneri, who have good relations with Lille dating back to the transfers of Rafael Leao and, later, Mike Maignan, could try to sink the coup to give Stefano Pioli another vice-Giroud, in addition to Okafor, whom the Parma coach missed last year.

The Bianconeri, on the other hand, are waiting for the evolution of the situation related to Dusan Vlahovic, on whom the interest of Paris Saint-Germain remains, and they would have already received reassurances about David’s qualities, on and off the field, from his former teammate at Lille, Timothy Weah.

As for the interest of Napoli (which acquired from Lille one of the players who would become a symbol of the third Scudetto, Victor Osimhen), it seems milder but the reigning Italian champion club could study the situation and intervene if necessary, to further strengthen the offensive department.