With Magpies striker Callum Wilson now in the final months of his current contract and seemingly set for a summer departure, the United hierarchy are believed to be targeting at least one attacking player to provide cover and competition for top goalscorer Alexander Isak. The likes of Ipswich Town frontman Liam Delap and RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko have both been strongly linked with a move to Tyneside and are believed to have been monitored by Magpies recruitment staff in recent months.
But the same can be said of Lille and Canada striker Jonathan David, who has been named as a possible Magpies target after plundering his way to 107 goals and providing 27 assists in 224 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 club. Newcastle are far from the only potential suitor for the former KAA Gent star after the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Barcelona were also linked with a move for a player that seems set to leave Lille on a free transfer when his contract comes to an end this summer.
David has never openly committed to staying with Lille or confirmed any potential departure when his future was the subject of headlines over the last 12 months - but in one recent interview, he has stressed he is preparing to ‘make a wise decision’ over where the next step in his career may be taken.
He told CBS Sports: “I’m not sure if I’m staying or going, but if I do end up going, I have to push myself [to play] at the very highest level. After that, obviously when you play at a big club, your position is never guaranteed and you need to fight. I'm never guaranteed anywhere I go to start or play every game. I have to perform and I'm willing to fight. I know it's an important year, it's a big decision, so I'll make a wise decision.”
David will return to Lille after featuring in Canada’s Concacaf Nations League fixtures against the United States and Mexico during the final international break of the season and will hope to lead his side into the Champions League once again. However, the talented forward also has one eye on representing his country in their first ever home World Cup Finals.
Canada will co-host the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Mexico and for David and his team-mates, the tournament will offer an opportunity to build on their previous experience of taking on the world’s best. The former 25-year-old was integral in helping his side qualify for the last World Cup Finals in Qatar and although they fell to group stage defeats against Belgium, Croatia and Morocco, the experience has whet David’s appetite to experience a momentous occasion for North America.
"It's very exciting,” explained the Lille star. “We had a little taste in Qatar, especially in that Belgium game where we felt like we had more fans in the stadium, which really helped us in the game to feel more confident and to push after the game. Every time we play at home, especially in Toronto, I think the crowd is always there behind us and to be able to play on the biggest stage of all with your friends and family in the stadium, I think is going to be special."
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