Barcelona have reportedly decided to step back from pursuing Jonathan David. The Canadian forward from Lille, who has caught the interest of both Inter Milan and Juventus in Italy, was initially on the radar of the Blaugrana. However, as revealed by the Spanish newspaper Sport, they have chosen to withdraw despite the player’s keen interest.
“Barcelona have been tracking him for months, but there is no unanimous consensus on his arrival,” a source told Sport. “His economic demands pose an obstacle unless he decides to lower his expectations. The forward received a significant offer from Lille several months ago, but he hasn’t responded yet. Negotiations are ongoing, yet the French club is aware that he will leave.”
“There are no plans to sell him in January, so he will depart the team as a free agent,” the source added.
The doubts within Barcelona are also evident. “The Blaugrana club is aware of the scope of the operation,” Sport reports. “The total cost would be around 80 million euros, including the player’s salary for four years, the signing bonus, and the related commission fees. It is a manageable but high figure considering the current limited financial manoeuvrability of Barça.”
“Even though the sum is not unreasonable, Jonathan David would not arrive as an undisputed starter – Lewandowski will renew – and this raises doubts within Barça’s sporting area,” Sport quoted.
“At present, Barça has not taken any concrete steps. They are aware that Jonathan David is a striker with a great nose for goal, but they remain uncertain about his performance at Barça,” the report continued. “He excels when he has space to exploit his power, but struggles against closed teams, and in the Blaugrana club, they believe he still lacks the leap in quality needed to become a top player.”
“For his age and characteristics, David could be a good acquisition, but at the moment, the sporting area prioritises the arrival of a left-winger and intends to concentrate financial efforts on that,” the publication noted.
“The option of Jonathan David will be reconsidered later; his name remains on the table, but Barcelona will not participate in bidding wars if exorbitant offers are made,” the source concluded.