Jonathan David a €50m bargain to replace Ronaldo

FT Desk

• 23 Nov 2022 18:35 GMT
• 4 min read

Jonathan David makes his World Cup debut on Wednesday evening – and Manchester United will be watching him closely.

David has been a long-time Man Utd target – and will make his World Cup bow when Canada take on Belgium in their opening group match.

United will be even more interested now following the rescission of Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract on Tuesday.

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The Red Devils will sign a new striker during the January transfer market, and David is one of the names on their shortlist.

The Canada international has been in excellent form for Lille this season, netting nine goals in the league, putting him three behind leading marksman Kylian Mbappe.

Having signed for Lille from Gent in 2018 for €33 million, snatching him from Arsenal in the process, David is available for just €50m.

“Personally, I always mention Jonathan David as smart solution for United or other clubs,” transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano said on Wednesday.

“I already said it few times; young, talented, available for €50m. But let’s see what United decide to do.”

This price represents an absolute bargain for one of the best young forwards in Europe.

David has already scored 78 goals in his club career by the age of 22, as well as a brilliant 22 goals in 35 games for his country.

He was pivotal in Canada reaching their first World Cup for 36 years, and is the star of his nation along with Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies.

David also admitted recently that he wanted to take the next step up in his career when asked about the Man Utd links.

What David said about leaving Lille

“I was always watching European football on TV. So, for me that was always the goal. For me it was, I only wanted to go to Europe,” he told Sky Sports News.

"The next step is always growing, having more ambition, a bigger club I think. Every player wants to play for a massive club in their life. So I think if I had the chance to do it, I'll go for it for sure.

"I think they're two different leagues [the Premier League and La Liga]. But I think I can adapt to both for sure. And I think with the experience that I've had here in France, it will help me a lot if I need to adapt to some place else a lot faster. So yeah I think both leagues suit me."

Some more excellent performances for Canada at the World Cup and David’s chances of joining Man Utd in January will increase even further.