Juventus are close to reaching an agreement with former Lille striker Jonathan David, who is now available as a free agent. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Italian side approached the Canadian and are very close to sealing a deal.
Recall that Fabrizio also reported that Napoli were keen on signing him as a replacement for Victor Osimhen who, although still a Napoli player for now, is eager to leave the club permanently.
David is reportedly demanding a €8 million gross salary per year, plus a €15 million signing-on fee, while his agents are reportedly asking for up to €10 million in fees, bringing the total package to €34 million.
While Juventus are also keen on signing Kolo Muani, who is currently on loan from PSG, that may change following his horrible miss in the Club World Cup Round of 16 against Real Madrid.
Jonathan David is relatively cheaper than the strikers still available in the market, such as Victor Osimhen, who has a €75 million release clause (though this clause is inactive for Italian clubs), Hugo Ekitike, whom Frankfurt are currently unwilling to sell for less than £75 million, and Viktor Gyökeres, who has a €100 million release clause—though he and his agents claim they have a gentleman’s agreement with Sporting to sell below that figure.
Despite the cost, however, Di Marzio reports that Juventus are also interested in Victor Osimhen. They are said to be willing to do whatever it takes to secure his signature. However, Napoli would also do everything possible to block the move, especially since they hold the upper hand in negotiations when it comes to Italian clubs.
Nevertheless, we might still see a front duo of David and Osimhen at Juventus next season. This is as Dusan is reportedly meant to leave the club permanently with Juventus keen to get the high wage earner of their wage bill.