Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim must clinch the Europa League title if he hopes to secure the signing of Jonathan David. The Red Devils’ boss requires significant support from Sir Jim Ratcliffe to help the Premier League titans reclaim their position at the pinnacle of football.
One glaring issue in United’s squad is the absence of a consistent goalscorer, as Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have underperformed this season. Lille’s frontman David has been identified as a potential solution, but Amorim will face stiff competition for the Canadian international. Newcastle United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Liverpool are all reportedly interested in the 25-year-old.
David, who has netted 17 goals in 30 matches this season, would reportedly favour a move to a Champions League club if he were to depart from Lille. However, with United currently languishing in 13th place, securing a top-four finish seems out of reach for the Portuguese boss.
Victory in the Europa League could be United’s only shot at signing David, given that it comes with the added perk of Champions League qualification. David’s agent, Nikos Mavromaras, has allegedly informed insiders that the striker is open to exploring opportunities across Europe, reports the Mirror.
Despite ongoing speculation about David’s future, Lille president Olivier Letang has confessed that the club has no intention of selling him, even though his contract expires this summer.
In a statement made back in November, the club’s stance on their star player was crystal clear: “We are not going to sell him in January and we have not received any offer for him. Jonathan’s situation is super simple. We are very happy to have you with us. Last off-season, he had one year left on his contract.
“We could qualify for the Champions League. When you have a guy who scores 20-25 goals a season. We had no obligation to sell him. He is a player who scores between 20 and 25 goals and qualifies for the Champions League. Plus, Jonathan loves Lille which is his club. Our position was very clear from the beginning, we think of the athlete. Obviously, he already has an offer (contract) that is in his hands, the ball is in his court.”
Meanwhile, United continue their unbeaten run in the competition this season, with three wins and three draws in their first six matches. They sit seventh in the Europa League table as they host Rangers in their next fixture on Thursday (January 23).