Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified a leading candidate to replace Bayern Munich target Harry Kane this summer, with reports in Italy indicating that Ange Postecoglou and co are interested in Lille striker, Jonathan David.
How much would Jonathan David cost?
According to Gazzetta dello Sport – via Sport Witness – the Canadian international is said to be being 'followed' by those at N17, with the 23-year-old seemingly at the 'top of their list' with regard to potential centre-forward replacements for Kane.
The report suggests, however, that while the former Gent hitman is valued at around €50m (£43m) at present, the impending switch of Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United for a fee of around £72m could inflate the striker market.
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The piece does though add that David's price tag could drop to as low as €40m (£34m) this month, with the Ligue 1 outfit potentially inclined to cash on the Brooklyn-born menace with just two years left on his current deal.
Who is Jonathan David similar to?
There have perhaps been doubts regarding the 5 foot 9 marksman's ability to make an impact in the Premier League, with journalist Dean Jones previously suggesting that David had failed to impress watching Man United scouts last season.
That being said, however, it is perhaps hard to argue with the striker's impressive goal return in Ligue 1 in recent times, with the £28k-per-week asset having notably scored 24 league goals during the 2022/23 campaign – a record only bettered by Alexandre Lacazette and Kylian Mbappe in the division.
Lauded as a "phenom" and "one of the best strikers in the world" by podcaster Tony Marinaro, the emerging gem now boasts a haul of 58 goals in 136 games in all competitions for his current side, after previously bagging 37 goals in 83 games during his time in Belgium.
While the jury is out on whether he could be the man to fill Kane's shoes in north London – with the Englishman netting 30 league goals last season alone – it is interesting to note that David is said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with Arsenal youngster, Folarin Balogun, according to Opta's Player Radars.
That comparison between the latter man – who scored 21 Ligue 1 goals last season while on loan at Reims – and his Lille counterpart can be seen by just how clinical they are in the final third, with David ranking in the top 6% among his European peers for goals, while Balogun ranks in the top 10% in that regard.
The pair are also alike with regard to their poaching prowess and desire to impact the game where it matters most, with the reported Spurs target ranking in the top 9% for touches in the opposition box, while Balogun ranks in the top 10% in that regard.
The Gunners gem is a worthy player to be compared to have been touted for a £50m move away from the Emirates of late, with the 22-year-old having proven himself to be an "unbelievable" talent during his latest stint in France, according to Reims boss Will Still.
With their north London rivals having an exciting striking talent on the books in the form of Balogun, perhaps Spurs could find Postecoglou's answer to the United States international with the signing of David.
