Jonathan David’s time to move away from Lille is now: Why Canada star could use fresh start

Jonathan David is one of the big names of the January transfer window even if the Canada Men’s National Team star is not expected to actually move clubs this winter. The 24-year-old’s current contract with Lille OSC in Ligue 1 is expiring this coming summer and although the French outfit have offered improved terms to keep their star man. With Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies also into the final six months of his current deal and possibly on the move, 2025 could be a pivotal year for Canadian soccer’s two major talents.

David leads Ligue 1 with 11 goals and one assist so far as LOSC sit fourth and within five points of Olympique de Marseille in second spot behind Paris Saint-Germain. However, the former KAA Gent sensation has truly caught the eye in the UEFA Champions League where he has six more goals and a further assist across qualifying and league phase play. The Canadian’s combined 17 goals and two assists already puts him on course to better his 18 goals from 2021-22 which was his previous best in a season featuring Championnat and UCL action.

Looking at the Ligue 1 numbers, 11 is still 13 shy of 2022-23’s 24-goal tally but eight more strikes would level his 2023-24 total of 19 which is currently his second-best showing. It is little wonder then that Premier League and Serie A clubs are sitting up and taking notice of David who could be theirs without a transfer fee come this summer. For Lille to find themselves in this situation despite having overtaken AS Monaco as France’s best player-trading club is not ideal and the North American star will be a big loss if he leaves.

“We are very happy to have him,” said LOSC President Olivier Letang earlier this term. “This summer (2024) he had one year left on his contract but we were under no pressure to sell him. That was also because we did not receive any suitable offers. We have already offered him a contract extension and now the ball is in his court.”

Still only 24, it is easy to forget that David has going on seven years of top level European experience under his belt having enjoyed two years with Gent in Belgium before joining Les Dogues. Northern France has certainly been the making of him and finishing as Ligue 1’s top scorer would be a logical high point from his time in French soccer and the timing is crucial for the player and Canada. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming up on home soil in less than two years’ time and with Jesse Marsch now at the helm, David is set to be the Canucks’ star as they aim to improve on 2022 in Qatar.

“As the President (Letang) has said many times, there are talks,” David admitted recently having scored against the likes of Real and Atletico Madrid as well as Juventus in the Champions League. “We are speaking, but no decision has been made. We are still speaking and the door is never closed — it is 50/50.”

For the past few years, especially during summer windows, he has flirted with a move to continental giants like Bayern which would have seen a Canadian linkup at club level with Davies. Ill-timed dips in scoring form coupled with LOSC’s high asking price for their No. 9 have contributed towards less concrete interest than initially expected but clubs have always kept an eye on his productivity and battles with Kylian Mbappe at the top of the scoring charts until the Frenchman left for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.

As much as David staying would be excellent news for Ligue 1 as French professional soccer tries to rebuild after a series of ruinous television rights debacles, the time has come for the American-born Canadian to explore his options because LOSC have allowed his contract situation to reach this point. There is no real likelihood of Bruno Genesio’s side asking for less money for him in the future so logically this is the most direct route away from Stade Pierre Mauroy — if that is the decision that he ultimately decides is best for his development.