CanMNT record goalscorer - What will Jonathan David add to Juventus' attack?

Medical on Friday 

It is all but official. Juventus are set to sign Canadian men’s national team star striker Jonathan David on a free transfer from Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille. All parties have now agreed terms, and a medical is set to be completed on Friday. David has signed a long-term deal with the 36-time Serie A champions. The transfer means that the most valuable free agent available this summer is now off the market (overview).

In David, Juventus will get a reliable goalscorer. The Canadian has managed to score 109 goals and 30 assists in 231 games since 2020 for Lille. In 2021, David won the Ligue 1 title and the following year the Super Cup. David is also the Canadian men’s national team's all-time leading goalscorer. At only 25, David has scored 36 goals in 67 games for his national team. That ranks him six goals ahead of his current teammate Cyle Larin (30 goals in 86 games). David is also the second most valuable CanMNT player behind only Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies (overview).

For Lille, the transfer is a significant financial setback. With a market value of €45m, the striker was the most valuable player in the squad, and there were opportunities to sell the striker for a significant fee in the past. Other clubs, however, refused to meet Lille’s financial demands. As a result, David becomes the most expensive free agent to move clubs behind only Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid from Liverpool ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Jonathan David: Why Juventus moved fast to add the CanMNT forward

Juventus, in the meantime, have secured a reliable goalscorer on a free transfer. But why did Juventus move fast to add David? Juventus is in urgent need of adding a striker to the squad, especially one with Jonathan David's skill set,” Transfermarkt Italy Content Manager Aniello Luciano said. “The relationship with Dušan Vlahović is now broken, and the Serbian has fallen short of expectations. Already last winter, Juventus decided to target a quicker, more mobile center-forward, rather than a traditional no.9— particularly one who excels at attacking depth.”

Indeed, Juventus certainly lacks depth at the center-forward position. “Excluding Arkadiusz Milik, who has been injured for some time, head coach Igor Tudor currently only has wingers/offensive midfielders at his disposal—technical and pacey players,” Luciano said. “That’s why the Canadian could be a key player for the team’s style of play: pressing, fast transitions, intensity.” A look at Juve’s squad underlines this. Aside from the disgraced Vlahović and the injured Milik, Juve only have Randal Kolo Muani under contract. And it remains to be seen whether Kolo Muani will remain with Juve. The French striker saw his loan extended for the duration of the FIFA Club World Cup, but for now, is set to return to PSG on July 15.

“Whether they will keep Kolo Muani remains on PSG’s financial demands,” Luciano said. Either way, Juventus plan to add at least another striker to play with David on a permanent basis. “Juve’s strategy should be to offload Vlahović and sign a forward, who ideally could also play alongside the former Lille striker,” Luciano said. “The dream signing remains Victor Osimhen — a proven force in Serie A. It must be noted that Juventus cannot afford to make any further transfer mistakes or exceed its financial constraints. And bringing in multiple top players — along with the added burden of transfer fees and wages—won’t be easy.”