David Ornstein reveals all as Chelsea hijack Man Utd talks and surge into lead for explosive striker

Chelsea are stepping up their pursuit of a new striker and a reliable source has named Manchester United and Tottenham target Jonathan David as a serious option.

The Lille forward is one of Ligue 1’s most lethal goalscorers and reports suggest that his time with the French club will likely end this summer.

David has just 12 months remaining on his contract and has no interest in signing an extension, so Lille would rather sell him now than lose him on a free transfer further down the line.

As reported by TEAMtalk on Wednesday, Man Utd are in contact with David’s representatives over a potential transfer, while Tottenham are long-term admirers of his.

However, it now seems that Chelsea have leapfrogged their Premier League rivals in the race for the Canadian international.

David scored 19 league goals for Lille in 2023/24, making him the division’s second-highest top scorer, behind only France superstar Kylian Mbappe.

READ MORE: Chelsea announce spectacular £51.6m signing, with mammoth contract, add-ons breakdown, arrival date all revealed

Enzo Maresca is keen to bring in competition for Nicolas Jackson and the 24-year-old could be the perfect man for the job.

David is currently away on international duty for Canada at Copa America but will decide his future once the tournament ends.

Chelsea close in on Jonathan David

The latest update on David’s future comes from reliable journalist David Ornstein, who claims that concrete negotiations between Chelsea and his agents have begun.

Ornstein claims in a post on X that the Lille striker is ‘high among the Blues’ options’ and the fee required to sign him this summer should be ‘reasonable’ due to his contract situation.

Although there has been ‘no approach’ from Chelsea to Lille over a transfer fee as yet, the relationship between the two clubs is described as ‘good.’

Previous reports suggest that a bid of around £25m would be enough to sign David this summer but as mentioned, Chelsea aren’t the only club in the race for him.

Man Utd and Tottenham are both in the market for a new striker. Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants more competition for Rasmus Hojlund at Old Trafford with Anthony Martial leaving the Red Devils, while Ange Postecoglou feels Spurs have never replaced Harry Kane.

David is open to moving to the Premier League and it isn’t clear at this stage if he has a preference between one of the three clubs.

Chelsea are moving quickest in the race though and it will be interesting to see if they launch a bid for the Lille star in the coming days.

FULL BREAKDOWN: All the done deals by Premier League clubs in the summer 2024 transfer window so far