West Ham United have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Lille forward Jonathan David, with the Canada international potentially being on the move before the end of the January transfer window.
The 24-year-old has again been in excellent form for Lille during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 17 goals and registering five assists in 27 appearances in all competitions, and his contract with his French club is due to expire this summer.
There has been a host of speculation surrounding David's future, with Manchester United and Barcelona believed to be among his admirers, and it appears that Lille have given up hope of convincing him to sign a new deal.
The Ligue 1 club's president Olivier Letang ruled out a January departure for the Canadian towards the end of last year, insisting that the striker would not be on the move during the winter market.
"We are not going to sell him in January and we have not received any offer for him," he told After Foot RMC. "Jonathan's situation is super simple. We are very happy to have you with us. Last off season he had one year left on his contract. We could qualify for the Champions League. When you have a guy who scores 20-25 goals a season. We had no obligation to sell him.
"He is a player who scores between 20 and 25 goals and qualifies for the Champions League. Plus, Jonathan loves Lille which is his club. Our position was very clear from the beginning, we think of the athlete. Obviously, he already has an offer that is in his hands, the ball is in his court."
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West Ham 'offered chance' to sign David
However, according to GIVEMESPORT, Lille are coming to terms with the fact that David will not be signing a new contract, and an offer in the region of £25m is therefore likely to be seriously considered.
The report claims that West Ham have been offered the chance to move for David, with the Hammers looking to sign a new centre-forward before the January transfer window closes for business.
Graham Potter was appointed West Ham's new head coach on Thursday, and there are believed to be funds in place to improve the squad before the end of the winter market due to the London club's issues this term.
A recent report claimed that four Premier League clubs have been in touch with David's camp to discuss a pre-contract this month, although the identity of the teams involved has not been disclosed.
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Which club will David join this year?
Considering his pedigree, it would be a surprise to see David move to West Ham, but it does appear that the striker will make the switch to the Premier League, potentially this month, but more likely on a free transfer this summer.
Barcelona are thought to have cooled their interest due to concerns over his playing style, but it is difficult to ignore the numbers that David has produced during his time at Lille.
The attacker has scored 101 goals and registered 23 assists in 210 appearances for his current side, including seven goals in 14 Champions League outings.
Players of David's ilk and age do not often become available on a free transfer, and Man United could be the perfect fit for him considering that the Red Devils desperately need to add to their attacking options this year.
However, it would be some statement of intent from West Ham if the Hammers were able to secure a player of his pedigree in the latter stages of the January transfer window or at the end of the campaign.
Matt Law
