Lille players celebrate after scoring against Borussia Dortmund (Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images)
Arsenal are understood to be increasingly keen on a potential free transfer swoop for Lille striker Jonathan David, but there are others also in the race.
One name to watch in particular could be West Ham United, who recently invited David’s agent to London to watch one of their games.
CaughtOffside understands that David features high up on the lists of both Arsenal and West Ham as they look to strengthen up front this summer.
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However, sources have also indicated that the Canada international has numerous suitors as he nears the end of his Lille contract.
Big names such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are also considering moving for David, CaughtOffside understands.
Jonathan David on a free transfer could be smart business for Arsenal
Arsenal don’t tend to have as much money to spend as a lot of their biggest rivals, so they could really do well to bring in a talent like David on a free.
The 25-year-old has shone during his time in Ligue 1 and has a total of 27 goals and five assists in all competitions for club and country this season.
Even if there are some slightly more glamorous names out there that might be more tempting for Arsenal fans, David looks like a great opportunity.
Still, his status as a free agent also means it’s going to be difficult to win the race for his signature against so many other interested clubs.
It remains to be seen if David himself has a clear preference at this time, but one imagines he might look at somewhere like West Ham as a decent move in order to guarantee himself regular playing time.
Others like Man Utd and Chelsea also clearly need new signings up front this summer, though, so might also be able to make him a good offer.
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