Chelsea are said to have opened talks with the representatives of Lille forward Jonathan David.
The 24-year-old has enjoyed a superb rise in Ligue 1 over the past two seasons, netting a whopping 43 goals. A fully-fledged Canada international, David is known to be highly thought of across Europe, but it is the Blues who have acted first this summer.
Having sharpened his skills in Belgium with Gent before his move to Lille in 2020, David has continued to stand out amongst the very best, winning the French top flight in 2020/21.
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According to The Athletic, Chelsea already hold strong relationships at Lille, with Eden Hazard having made the same move to Stamford Bridge back in 2012. David is under contract until 2025 and it is thought the two teams will not be far away from agreeing a fee for the striker.
Lille president Olivier Letang recently gave his public blessing to a move in the current market and Enzo Maresca's side is known to be in the market for a new forward to provide healthy competition for Nicolas Jackson.
David is currently third in Lille's all-time goalscoring list having notched a whopping 84 goals in only 183 matches — a record of 0.46 goals per game. The Canadian international is currently away with his country at Copa America, having played the full match in a 2-0 loss to reigning champions Argentina.
"The furthest I can see for the moment is the next game and helping Lille get back into the top four," said the 24-year-old in March 2023. "Saturday mornings growing up in Canada were about the Premier League and La Liga. The Premier League and La Liga are every kid's dream".
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