Canada's Jesse Marsch Confident in Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan's Club Future Ahead of Busy Summer | OneFootball

Canada national team manager Jesse Marsch knows it’s a big summer forJonathan David and Tajon Buchanan.

Two of the most important players within the Canadian squad, both are set for formative offseasons in Europe. For David, it’s the start of a new chapter after spending five seasons with Lille, where he scored 109 goals in 232 matches, while establishing himself as a club legend.

Meanwhile, for Buchanan, it looks increasingly likely that he will not stay at CF Villarreal after his loan expires, returning to Inter Milan, seeking either another chance to overtake Denzel Dumfries' position on the Italian giants or a move elsewhere.

First, though, comes a busy summer. Both were included on Canada’s preliminary 60-man roster for the Concacaf Gold Cup and could be in the squad for June friendlies against the Ivory Coast and Ukraine in Toronto

Yet, their club futures and the right choice ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 reign supreme.

“We're going to the Gold Cup to try to win a trophy,” Marsch told reporters Monday. “There will be some extraneous circumstances, and one of those is how many of our guys can get into the tournament... There will be some decisions made on exactly what our final squad looks like.”

Linked to nearly every major club in Europe over the last several years, David’s impact on the transfer market will be among the most significant. At just 25, he has stood out as one of the most consistent goalscorers in the top five leagues, and has the 2020-2021 Ligue 1 title and 2021-2022 French Super Cup on his resume.

Through his tenure, he endeared himself to Lille supporters, earning an emotional goodbye in his final Ligue 1 match.

“I wanted to tell you myself that, after so many years at the club, it’s time for me to say goodbye,” David said in his announcement video ahead of the game. “I’ve spent five wonderful seasons here. I know it hasn’t always been easy, but I hope that with my goals and celebrations, I’ve managed to bring you some joy, especially with the French championship title and the Champions Trophy.”

There will be plenty of suitors for him, and it’s up to the player that Marsch has called “the smartest I’ve ever coached " to decide which might suit him best, whether another Ligue 1 team, the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, or even the Bundesliga.

In his most recent campaign, he scored 25 goals and 12 assists in 49 matches, including finding the back of the net seven times in the Champions League against giants Liverpool, Real Madrid, Juventus, Atlético Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.

“[David] is going to want to go to the best club he can be at, and I think achieve the most in terms of what it would mean to compete for trophies in Europe,” Marsch said. “He’s going to want to play as well, and I think that’s important. I think the most important thing for him is, it’s not good if he goes somewhere and then he has to play on the bench a lot and not get minutes to keep himself sharp and fit and ready to go, especially with the World Cup being a year away.”

To date, the Ottawa, Ont. native has been linked with Napoli, FC Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Juventus and several others, making him one of the most attractive free agent strikers.

What's Next for Buchanan?

Tajon Buchanan scored his first La Liga goal against FC Barcelona after the Catalan club had already clinched the La Liga title. / IMAGO

It’s a much different situation for Buchanan and his club future. After impressing with Club Brugge, he earned a move to Inter Milan in January 2024. However, he struggled for playing time and joined Villarreal on loan, where he rehabbed a broken leg he suffered at last summer’s Copa America.

His involvement has been inconsistent over the last year, and although he scored a late winner against FC Barcelona in Villarreal’s final game, there is no clarity on his next move.

Still, Marsch sees him as a critical piece of Canada moving forward, and within the team’s top players, one year out from the World Cup.

“He's only going to gain confidence from scoring the winner against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, and we think this summer will be a really good moment for him to really continue to push his form and solidify whatever decision gets made and where he’ll be next year,” Marsch said.

“It’s important to continue the momentum, so come next summer, he’s in the best form of his life. I’ve told Tajon flat out that the best version of our national team has him in the starting lineup.”

While Buchanan and David will have some involvement in the summer’s international games, Marsch will have to go forward without the team’s most significant star, Alphonso Davies, whose ACL injury ruled him out until next season.

At the Gold Cup, Canada will take on Honduras, El Salvador and Curaçao, opening the tournament in Vancouver on June 14.