“When you grow up supporting Barca, it’s your dream to play for them”

Jonathan David has been catching European giants' attention since he helped Lille to Ligue 1 glory in 2021. The Canadian striker has 15 goal contributions so far this season, and is on course to beat his personal record tally of 26 goals - he currently has 13. “It’s the best feeling you can have in football,” he said on what is like to score a goal.

In his last three Champions League appearances, David found the target in four occasions, all coming against European heavyweights - Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus. “It’s always nice to score against big clubs,” he told 'The Athletic'. “But for me, every goal is important. On the outside, it means a lot more. I could score a hat-trick on the weekend against Le Havre, but I score one goal against Real Madrid and in two, three weeks, that’s the goal people will be talking about.”

With his Lille contract expiring at the end of the season, David's future has been at the centre of transfer talk. If speculations are true, it seems as though every club wants to sign him as Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter Milan and lately Bayern Munich have all been heavily linked with the Canada international. Should he choose not to renew with the French side, the decision will entirely be in his hands.

On the possibility of leaving Lille in the January transfer window, David said: "Going to a club midseason is never easy. It’s not like the beginning of a season where you have a pre-season, you get to know your team-mates, you have time to gel. In January, things are very hectic. It’s about right now. It’s tougher." The 24-year-old's words practically confirm that an exit this winter is rather unlikely.

During another exclusive interview with 'The Athletic' earlier this season, David insisted that he is not picky about his future destination, as he stated: "I'm open to anything". However, he has now admitted that Barcelona is the one club he wishes to play for. “(Barcelona) was always the team I grew up supporting. When you grow up supporting a team, it’s your dream to play for them,” David said.

Whether his dream comes to or not, David is adament on the fact that staying with Lille would not represent a "downgrade" in his career. “Some people might say, ‘Oh, he’s staying at Lille, this is a downgrade, he’s not getting better’. But for me, there’s always opportunities to get better,” he said. Wherever he ends up next, David's only wish is that, in five years time, he will have "no regrets" about his career choices.

 

November 18, 2024