Canadian star striker Jonathan David has a new club. Ligue 1 side Lille announced on Tuesday that they have completed the transfer for David from Belgium’s Gent.
According to reports, Lille paid around $35 million for the highly-rated youngster. This not only made David the club’s record signing, but also the most expensive Canadian player in history.
David was linked with several high-profile clubs in recent months, with Arsenal and Manchester City being interested in his services. However, the 20-year-old player preferred Lille due to their impressive track record in developing young players. Also, he is most likely to get more playing time in France than he would get somewhere else.
“This is a very good team with great players,” said David upon joining his new club. “I want to play and to progress, and I think this is the perfect place.”
Jonathan David, who was born in the United States, but moved to Canada as a six-year-old child, spent most of his youth career with Ottawa-based clubs. His good performances captured the attention of Gent scouts, and the Belgian side signed him in January 2018. David was handed his professional debut just six months later.
In his two seasons with Gent, David played 83 games in all competitions and managed to score 37 goals alongside 15 assists. He was especially efficient in 2019/20, managing 22 goals and 10 assists.
David also has 12 appearances with Canada’s national team and has scored impressive 11 goals on an international level so far.
