‘Would Be Unlikely’ – Aston Villa And Crystal Palace Could Need Help To Land Star | OneFootball

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Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are both interested in Jonathan David, but are likely to need help from Juventus to sign him.

The USA-born striker came to Europe in 2018 after spending his youth career in Canada, as Belgian outfit Gent signed him from Ottawa Internationals.

David had an impressive two-and-a-half-year spell in Belgium, where he scored 37 times and provided 15 assists in 83 games, which attracted a host of European giants with his performances.

One former Belgian Pro League boss claimed that David was the best player in Belgium in 2020 and north London pair Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were keen on him.

Ivan De Witte, who was Gent’s sporting director at that time, said that Leeds United tried to bring him over to Elland Road from Gent.

However, Ligue 1 side Lille were able to win the race for the Canada star, for whom they paid a sizeable €30m to the Belgian club.

Again, he had a brilliant five-year spell in France, as he contributed to 140 goals directly in only 232 games for Les Dogues.

His contract at the Ligue 1 club ended last summer, and Juventus were able to snap him up on a free transfer.

However, David has had an underwhelming campaign in Turin, as he has scored only six Serie A goals in 33 games for the Old Lady.

Last week, it was revealed that Aston Villa could make an offer for the Canada star, who the Serie A giants could offload in the summer window.

Crystal Palace are also in the race for the 26-year-old frontman alongside the Villans, but a potential summer move ‘would be unlikely’ without the help of Juventus, according to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web.

David earns €6m per year at Juventus, plus bonuses, and the Bianconeri would likely need to agree to cover part of his salary.

That could take the form of a payoff for David if a permanent move is made, or subsidising some of his wages if he leaves on loan.

It is suggested that his high salary ‘continues to weigh on his transfer prospects’.

Juventus are heading into an uncertain period regarding their attack as Dusan Vlahovic could leave, while they also want to offload Lois Openda.