Man United should turn to long-time target Jonathan David in hour of need | OneFootball

Another Sunday afternoon, another drab defeat for Old Trafford to process.

The Red Devils lost 0-2 against Crystal Palace, a fifth defeat in six Premier League matches at the Theatre of Dreams.

United have already addressed their problems at left wing back by bringing in Patrick Dorgu in this winter window.

Nonetheless, they have let Antony and Marcus Rashford leave the club on loan and have failed to bring in any sort of attacking reinforcements.

There were strong rumours that the club was pursuing a deal for Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel but it appears that this move has broken down.

It was also relayed here yesterday that there is a good chance United will stand pat and not bring in a striker this window, but that would be a grave mistake for a side who look toothless in attack.

United have been linked to numerous attacking options such as Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres but a move for either has not been seriously discussed until the summer.

There is one striker that has been linked to United for a very long time but whose name has not hit the headlines in the same way.

Canadian striker Jonathan David has been on the Red Devils’ radar for a number of years but he has not seriously been mentioned as an option in this window.

The London World reported yesterday that “Liverpool are believed to have sent a £10 million bid to Lille for the striker” that has been rejected and Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are also said to carry an interest in the player.

The striker’s contract at LOSC Lille is set to expire this June and he will be able to enter the market as a free agent.

The case against David could be that he is 24 years old but he has never played a higher level than the French league and United need someone who can guarantee goals.

In addition, he is not the most experienced striker and United already have a plethora of 22 and 23 year old talents who are struggling to put the pieces together.

It could also be argued that United are better saving all the money that they have for a summer move for a player like Gyokeres who Amorim knows and loves from their time together at Sporting Lisbon.

Nonetheless, United do not have the time to wait.

The Red Devils can still win the FA Cup and Europa League. They are also only 11 points away from the Conference League positions and some promise of European football next year.

Amorim needs a goalscorer and he needs one now.

David is just that. He has scored 104 goals in his Lille career and has hit double figures in all five of the seasons he has played in France.

What’s more, he is in fine form this season, scoring 20 goals and providing eight assists in 33 matches.

The Canadian is also highly experienced at an international level in spite of his young age, netting 31 times for his country in 59 matches.

In another positive argument for signing him, he would be much cheaper than an Osimhen or Gyokeres as surely a £20-25 million offer would be enough to convince Lille to part ways with their star striker rather than lose him for free in less than five months.

Finally, David is simply just a very good player. He has been described as “pretty special and a cold assassin who is very clinical.”

The Canadian is a versatile forward who can play as a second striker or an out-and-out number nine, which could fit Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system.

He is also an incredibly hard worker off the ball as “his unparalleled ball recovery skill, rated superbly at 96.875 percentile, is evidence of his impeccable work rate in the final third.” Another key trait that the United boss demands from his attacking players.

Therefore, the pros of making a move for David heavily outweigh any potential negatives and it is something the United board should act upon within the next 24 hours, before the window slams shut until the summer.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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