Window after window has passed, but Jonathan David remains in Lille.
However, the Canadian striker will become a free agent this summer and it remains a mystery to everyone where he will end up. For five years he has been linked with moves to most of the major European clubs and tonight the 25-year-old faces another audition at Anfield.
Liverpool's end-of-season recruitment remains up in the air until a decision is made on the big three nearing the end of their contracts. But if Mohamed Salah leaves, Arne Slot's frontline will need reinforcement – and ties with David have been sporadic during the Jurgen Klopp era.
Tottenham are among those also named as destinations in recent days, but Lille have made it clear that David will not leave the club this month. Signing a new contract, on the other hand, seems unlikely with an offer made months ago but no signal yet that it will be signed.
“What am I waiting for? I think it's easier to say now. I'm in the last year of my contract,” David said earlier this season. “Eventually my contract expires. So we'll see. We'll see what happens next year. I'm open to everything.
“I think the Premier League is obviously considered one of the best leagues in the world. And for me it's not the Premier League or failure. I'm open to everything and every league has its challenges.”
David's agents recently reiterated that everything is on the table when it comes to his future, and that he is auditioning well so far this season.
He arrives on Merseyside with 17 goals in Ligue 1 and the Champions League this season. Only Mason Greenwood has found the net more in the top flight than his dozen and Lille are in third place, on course to reach the Champions League again next season.
Bruno Genesio's side are unbeaten in 20 games, with their most recent defeat to Ruben Amorim's Sporting Lisbon in mid-September, and sit eighth in the bloated Champions League stage before this week's games.
They are all but assured of a play-off spot – and much of that is down to David's brilliance.
He may not have scored in five games, but he did provide a third assist of the season in the weekend win at home to Nice, proving he can still be the creator when he can't find the net himself.
David, who can finish with either foot, has been deployed as a solo man at the top by Genesio, but in the past he has proven he can mix things up and drop deep or act as a support striker.
This versatility is what makes him so attractive to teams across the continent.
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