TMW
As we reported in today’s editorialJuventus’ transfer man Cristiano Giuntoli has already initiated the first contacts for Jonathan David, the Canadian national team centre-forward tied to Lille by a contract expiring next June. The Juventus manager has had the first approaches to understand the margins and costs of an operation to be defined without paying the player’s transfer fee: the 2000-born player, already scoring five goals per season between club and country, has long made it clear to the French club that he does not want to renew his contract expiring in 2025 to make the ‘leap’ to a top European club at the end of this season.
In truth, David was already close to leaving Lille last summer. The French club that asked for 20-25 million euros has received several approaches from all over Europe, even from Italian clubs such as Roma, Napoli and Milan. However, no club has decided to make a move for the 2000-born player, also because in the summer – despite a contract still in force – the Canadian footballer’s agent asked for five million euros upon signing. A detail not to be underestimated, which combined with a very high salary request of 5-6 million per year has distanced the interested teams.
These are figures that will increase in 2025. Without more outlay for the registration, the clubs interested in David – in addition to a significant salary to pay the player – will have to consider a request for a significantly higher commission. Requests are still possible for clubs like Juventus, although in this case a lot will depend on Vlahovic’s performance and the negotiations with the Serbian for the renewal of his contract expiring in 2026. If the right answers do not arrive on both fronts, the former Fiorentina player could find himself out of the Juve project at the end of the season. A bit like what happened this summer to Federico Chiesa.