Jonathan David admits his dream is to play for Barcelona as he prepares to enter the final six months of his contract with Lille.
The Canadian international is in his fifth season in Ligue 1 but will become a free agent at the end of the current season.
Lille have tried to convince David with a new contract, although it appears he will leave Stade Pierre-Mauroy in 2025 – possibly as early as January if a club is willing to pay a transfer fee.
Although the 24-year-old is seemingly open to a move to Barcelona, he suggested he would prefer to wait until the end of the season before taking the next step in his career.
“Going to a club mid-season is never easy,” he told The Athletic. “It's not like the start of a season where you have pre-season, you get to know your teammates and you have time to gel.
“It's very hectic in January. It's about now. It's harder.”
“[Barcelona] was always the team I watched growing up. If you grow up supporting a team, your dream is to play for them.
“Some people might say: 'Oh, he's staying at Lille, this is a downgrade, he's not going to get better'. But for me there are always opportunities to get better.”
Jonathan David before the international break:
5 games 5 goals
pic.twitter.com/FE8UE6kfFk
— LOSC (@LOSC_EN) November 15, 2024
David has scored thirteen goals in nineteen appearances for Lille in all competitions this season, including goals against heavyweight sides Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the Champions League.
Including penalties, eight of those goals have been scored with his stronger right boot, four with his left boot and one with his head – an area where the striker accepts he can still improve.
“Aerial view, I can get better,” he said. “Getting that header on target and scoring.
“I can get into good positions and win headers, but the finishing touch is still missing. With my back to the goal I can also improve.”
David is averaging goals every 112 minutes in all competitions this season, compared to one goal every 139 minutes last season and 131 in 2022/23.
However, he still has a long way to go to match the 18 goals he scored in 27 league games for former club Gent in 2019-20.
“It's going well now because I'm scoring goals,” said David.
“But is this the best I've played in my life? Probably not. For me it was my second year in Belgium. That was the season of my life.”
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