According to Italian news outlet Tutto Juve, Newcastle United are leading the three-way battle to sign LOSC Lille goal machine Jonathan David in January.
Newcastle United had a disappointing summer transfer window despite the arrival of new sporting director Paul Mitchell, with reports of dissonance between the new recruitment expert and Eddie Howe have been rife in recent weeks.
Mitchell’s comments in the media about the underwhelming transfer window and his first impressions of the recruitment situation at the club caused controversy, leading to many journalists questioning the relationship between the manager and his sporting director.
Despite relentless reporting of a rift, the Newcastle boss has stood firm on a harmonious environment behind the scenes on Tyneside and has brushed off all attempts to suggest a problem during his press conferences over the last few weeks.
On the pitch, the performances have been a mixed bag with the injury crisis of last season creeping into the new campaign with Callum Wilson and Sven Botman yet to feature and not expected to return in the immediate.
The constant injury problems plaguing Wilson, in particular, continues to leave the side short of centre-forward options, especially with Alexander Isak now out with a broken toe.
It was hoped that Howe would learn his lesson from last season when Isak and Wilson were rarely fit at the same time and would sign a prolific first team option in the summer to compete with the pair for game time.
Considering the striking duo were both out on multiple occasions over the course of the frustrating campaign it was surprising when the Magpies only added William Osula to their attacking threat, a player with bags of potential but not the proven record to be trusted as the sole provider of goal contributions every week.
However, the club could now finally be dropping their stubborn stance on adding a competitor for the Newcastle goal machines, as LOSC Lille star Jonathan David is firmly on the radar for January if reports coming out of Italy are to be believed.
Tutto Juve claims that Newcastle lead a three-way battle to sign the Ligue 1 attacker, with Juventus and Inter Milan also tracking his situation in France ahead of the winter transfer window.
Would Jonathan David be a good signing for Newcastle?
There is no doubt that the Canadian international would add a quality creative option into the attacking threat at St James’ Park, with both the quality and experience to displace his competitors for the centre-forward role.
Despite how prolific he can be in front of goal, Wilson’s lack of availability has been a consistent cause of weakening the quality at Howe’s disposal in important fixtures and periods of the season, which is incredibly frustrating.
The 32-year-old is in the latter stages of his career and coming to the end of his contract, so it would be ideal to bring in a replacement who can match his finishing quality whilst also enhances the availability to rotate in the striker role.
In terms of Isak, it is undisputed that he is one of the best forwards in the Premier League at this time, but like Wilson, the Swede is no stranger to picking up injuries and has had multiple occasions where he has been sidelined for weeks.
As a result, the signing of David would be warmly welcomed on Tyneside by the supporters, and if he could hit the numbers he has produced at Lille there is no doubt he would quickly become a fan favourite.
Over 194 appearances for Lille, the 24-year-old has scored 91 goals and registered 20 assists, amounting to a goal contribution every 131 minutes played which is a fantastic output that could help Newcastle achieve their goals of competing in Europe every season.
Not only that, his injury record is much cleaner than his competitors for the centre-forward role in the North East as he has only tallied up 13 days of unavailability for selection since 2021, missing only three games for the French club.
With that being said, the signing of David would be a no-brainer for Newcastle as it would not only give Howe more firing power in the forward line, but also a player who is reliable in his availability.
