Liverpool are now understood to be ‘serious contenders’ to sign one of the most coveted strikers in European club football this summer.
The Reds’ current two centre-forwards (Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota) have both been the subject of recent transfer speculation linking them with moves away from Anfield, although the latter underlined his value to Arne Slot’s side by scoring the winner in last night’s Merseyside derby.
There’s also been no shortage of rumours about prospective signings to lead the attack, most prominently Alexander Isak, although Richard Hughes also appears to be looking beyond the confines of the Premier League.
Liverpool now ‘serious contenders’ to sign Jonathan David
According to sources close to Empire of the Kop, Liverpool have now emerged as ‘serious contenders’ to sign Jonathan David and have initiated talks with the Lille striker’s representatives.
Arne Slot views the Canada international as the ideal addition to refresh his squad’s attacking options and reduce the goalscoring reliance on Mo Salah, and the 25-year-old is seen as a perfect fit for the Reds’ system with his pace, precision and ability to thrive in transition.
The centre-forward is set to become a free agent (his contract expires in June) and has several other Premier League clubs eager to snap him up, including Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle and West Ham.
Signing David on a free would be a tremendous coup by Liverpool
To pick up a striker of David’s scoring prowess without paying a transfer fee would be exceptional business by Liverpool. The Canadian has scored 23 goals and set up another 10 this season, with one of those strikes coming in Lille’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield in the Champions League in January (Transfermarkt).
The current campaign isn’t a one-off, either, with the 25-year-old having scored almost 100 times between Ligue 1 and Europe’s premier club competition, while his record of 32 goals in 61 caps for his country isn’t to be dismissed either.
He could still command a substantial signing-on bonus if the Reds were to secure him on a free transfer, although the Merseyside club should easily be able to afford him a satisfactory wage in comparison to the £31.5k per week he’s currently earning (Capology).
Liverpool probably won’t sign another centre-forward unless one of their current options were to leave, but with the well-informed James Pearce expecting Nunez to depart in the summer, that could open the door to a potential swoop for David, particularly if the pursuit of Isak is unsuccessful.
There definitely appears to be a glorious opportunity for LFC to pull off an eye-catching coup for a ‘cold assassin‘, in the words of his ex-Canada assistant coach Steven Caldwell.
