Juventus have made up their mind on Jonathan David
Twelve months. That is how long Jonathan David has lasted as a wanted man in Turin. The club has placed him on the transfer list, and both the board and Luciano Spalletti would rather he was gone before the window shuts. The message is not subtle.
David wants to stay and fight for a place. Everything around him points the other way. Juventus have already added Jeff Ekhator and Randal Kolo Muani up front, and they are deep in talks with Manchester United over Joshua Zirkzee, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Every new name makes his path narrower.
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A debut season that stalled
He came to Turin a year ago on a free after five years at Lille. He wanted a bigger stage, and Juventus looked like it. The fit never arrived. Eight goals and five assists in 46 appearances across all competitions is a thin return for a striker who routinely cleared 20 in France.
Settling in proved hard. On the pitch he faded into games. Off it, the Italian press at one stage cast him as a bit of a loner in the dressing room. Spalletti’s arrival lifted him a touch, no more than that. The coach reportedly finds him too gentle, short on the meanness a penalty box demands.
A salary that no longer adds up
Then there is the money. David earns 6 M€ a year. Paying that to a forward who is not in the plans makes no sense for Juventus, so the club is banking on him accepting a fresh start this summer.
The clock is not on his side. Without a quick move, the former Lille man risks a season in the stands. Loïs Openda, another player Juventus wanted off the books, has already left for Lyon on loan. David is still searching for a door out. At 26, another wasted year is the last thing he needs.
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