Those at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are allegedly interested in the Canadian marksman.
Tottenham Hotspur are apparently prepared for the possible departure of free-scoring hero Harry Kane, with the Lilywhites reportedly interested in Lille striker Jonathan David.
With Kane entering the final year of his contract, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are rumored to be interested in a summer move, though it remains to be seen whether the Englishman will be leading the line for Ange Postecoglou’s side next season.
As a result, French source L’Equipe (via Sport Witness) reports that the north London club are eyeing David as a possible replacement to the 29-year-old, with the Premier League club reported to be ‘observing’ the Canadian international.
If Spurs are to sign the former Gent star, it is believed that the Ligue 1 club has set a €60 million (£51 million) asking price for the 23-year-old, with Newcastle United, Chelsea, and PSG all showing an interest at the moment.
The Brooklyn-born marksman has been dubbed a “phenom” by journalist Tony Marinaro for his recent performances in France, where he has scored 58 goals in just 136 games for his current club.
The 5 foot 9 ace, who has 25 goals in 42 senior appearances for his country, previously shone in Belgium, scoring 37 goals in 83 games in all competitions, demonstrating that he can offer a clinical presence in attack.
Having said that, transfer insider Dean Jones recently claimed that Manchester United were left disappointed after watching David in action, having not been “wowed” by the in-demand striker.
That should worry Postecoglou and co, as should the fact that the Lille man is thought to have stylistic and statistical parallels with former Chelsea flop Timo Werner, according to FBref.
That similarity is evident in the pair’s inability to provide a true physical focal point in attack, with the RB Leipzig asset ranking in the bottom 2% of those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues for aerial duels won, while his Canadian counterpart ranks in the bottom 4%.
The two individuals are similarly similar in their tendency to run in behind at any given opportunity rather than dropping deep to connect play, with David rating in the top 10% for progressive passes received and Werner ranking in the top 5%.
In the case of the latter, the desire to rely on his speed and ability to stretch a defense did not bear fruit during his tenure at Stamford Bridge, with the German hotshot netting just ten goals in 56 Premier League appearances after joining from Leipzig on a £45 million transfer in 2020.
Despite being a player who can “devastate with his pace” – according to talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino – Werner was unable to match his prior goalscoring exploits in the Bundesliga, having scored 28 league goals during the 2019/20 campaign, prior to moving west London.
Much like the “erratic” 27-year-old – as described by pundit Gabby Agbonlahor – David has also blossomed outside of England thus far, although his reliance on utilising his speed may not pay off in the Premier League, having been noted for his “directness” by ex-Arsenal man, Thierry Henry (CBS Sports, 22/02/2022, 19:45) – who also suggested not to “ask him to come to play or assist”, as that doesn’t appear to be his game.
Spurs may desire to sign a more established, all-round alternative to lead the line next season for the £51m sum that has been proposed, with it yet to be shown if David could truly be a worthy successor to Kane at N17.
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