Jonathan David in action for Lille. (imago Images)
According to Canadian outlet TSN (h/t Mirror), Liverpool have Jonathan David ‘very high’ on their list of transfer targets and have kept tabs on his development for a number of years. Should Lille make the Canadian striker available, Liverpool can swoop in with an offer. The French side paid €30million to land him last summer from Gent.
David, 21, moved from Ottawa International Soccer Club to Gent in January 2018. After an impressive time in the Belgian league, Lille came calling in the summer of 2020. In his first season with the French side, he helped them win the Ligue 1 title. But is he a striker that Jurgen Klopp needs at Liverpool? Let’s find out.
Liverpool are, quite frankly, short of quality options in the centre-forward area. Roberto Firmino has been Jurgen Klopp’s trusted centre-forward for a number of seasons now. But the Brazilian’s return of just 9 goals in 48 matches last season highlighted the goal-scoring burden that rested on the shoulders of Liverpool’s wingers, especially Mohamed Salah.
Those issues aside, the Reds don’t have a trusted backup for him at the club. Divock Origi is perhaps the club’s only natural striker on paper and he was constantly overlooked by Jurgen Klopp last season. The German handed the former Lille man just 181 minutes in the Premier League. Moreover, the Belgian international is also tipped to leave this summer.
The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t Mirror] mentions that Wolves and Napoli have shown interest in the Liverpool forward, and the club has placed a £20million price tag on him. It would be unthinkable for any Reds fan to envisage a possibility where Klopp starts the new season with just one centre-forward amongst his ranks.
Diogo Jota can play as a No.9 if required but the winger should rather be used to compete with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane for starts. And this is where signing a player like David becomes an important part of Liverpool’s present and future plans. If signed, the Canadian international can be Firmino’s understudy.
Moreover, he was trusted by Christophe Galtier to a large extent in France last season. Scoring 13 goals in 37 Ligue 1 games to win Lille the league title indicates that he has what it takes to challenge Firmino for starts straightaway upon his potential arrival. And at 21, he presents himself as a possible long-term resource for the club.
Firmino turns 30 this October and has only two years left on his current Liverpool deal that expires in 2023. The former Hoffenheim playmaker cannot keep playing forever and the Reds should start to look at his possible successors sooner than later. And what better place to look at than Lille, which houses a potentially prodigal striker in the form of David?
