Manchester United are currently plotting possible replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo, with Lille’s Jonathan David having emerged as a potential centre-forward option for Erik ten Hag.
What’s the word?
The former Ajax boss has only recently confirmed his desire to land a new striking recruit following the departure of the aforementioned Ronaldo, with the Canada international believed to be a “candidate” to fill the void, according to reports in Germany.
The suggestion is that the former Genk man – who made the move to France back in the summer of 2020 – would command a fee of around €50m (£43m) were the Old Trafford outfit to make a move in January, with the 22-year-old having also been linked with both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in recent times.
Transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – has now provided his thoughts on that rumoured interest in the youngster from the Red Devils, with the journalist stating that he could well prove a better fit over other reported targets such as Marcus Thuram and Memphis Depay.
The respected source stated: “I see Thuram and Depay as short-term fixes, but if they were to go for Jonathan David that’s not a short-term fix – that’s a vision for the future.
“That’s putting your faith in someone to be a goalscorer so that would be a very different signing for me.”
Martial upgrade
It is not the Ronaldo situation alone that has sparked the need for a new acquisition, with United already craving a reliable goalscoring presence due to the persistent injury woes of Anthony Martial, with the Frenchman having made just seven appearances in all competitions this season.
Although the 27-year-old has impressed when he has been available, with four goals and two assists to his name across all fronts, the former Monaco man has yet to convince he can deliver the goods on a consistent basis, having scored only five Premier League goals across the last two campaigns combined, prior to the start of this season.
While the 30-cap gem enjoyed a profitable 2019/20 campaign in which he scored 17 goals in the top flight, the £36m addition has only twice reached double figures other than that for league goals since his arrival back in 2015.
It could well be said that Martial has had more than enough chances to prove himself over the last seven years or so, with an upgrade potentially what is needed if Ten Hag’s men are to clinch Champions League qualification this season.
Turning to David, who was dubbed “one of the best strikers in the world” by radio host Tony Marinaro, would no doubt be a notable solution to that problem, with the Brooklyn-born menace having scored 41 goals in just 111 games for the Ligue 1 outfit, after previously netting 37 times in 83 games during his spell in Belgium.
That tally of 78 club career goals is only marginally less than that of Martial’s (99) despite the 5 foot 9 ace still being in his early twenties, with the electric “phenomenon” – as described by former coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck – having proven himself a truly clinical presence despite his relative youth.
One of those “silent assassins” and a player with a “killer instinct” – in the words of national boss John Herdman – the highly-rated asset also boasts a haul of 22 goals and 13 assists in just 38 games for his country to further illustrate his finishing prowess.
With Martial having simply too often proven unreliable and been unable to enjoy a clean bill of health, the addition of David would no doubt be a suitable upgrade in the New Year for United.