AC Milan’s search for a striker is likely to take them into the second half of August, and they might regret not fixing the issue sooner.
Over the past two summer transfer windows, Milan have been heavily linked with a move for Jonathan David, when he was at Lille. However, in the end rivals Juventus swooped to land him on a free transfer at the beginning of the current mercato.
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A love affair with no marriage
As mentioned, David is a player that was linked a lot ever since he joined Lille. This summer, with Tammy Abraham and Luka Jovic leaving, and with the Canadian’s deal expiring, it seemed like the perfect time to unite.
In fact, La Gazzetta dello Sport even mentioned that David was offered to the Rossoneri by his entourage, but they were no longer keen. Why? The fact he would move on a Bosman meant that he has very high costs in terms of commissions and salary.
According to Il Bianconero, his representatives were initially demanding a package worth around €25m in commissions and signing-on fees, a figure that stalled discussions with multiple clubs, even the cash-rich ones in Saudi Arabia.
Who instead?
There is in many ways a possible sliding doors moment upcoming involving Milan and Juventus. With David joining the Bianconeri, it frees up Dusan Vlahovic to potentially reunite with Massimiliano Allegri, even if there are similar salary obstacles.
Over the past few days, it has been reported that Milan and United made good progress in talks over a deal for Rasmus Hojlund.
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Hojlund is apparently now open to the move, and it would be a loan with option to buy deal, so it would come with no immediate outlay for Milan which obviously appeals to them.
The current situation
However, there is Santiago Gimenez to consider in all of this. Given the circumstances, his return of nine goal contributions in his first half-season at the club was far from a disaster. Giving up on him so quickly would probably send the wrong message.
One thing is clear: Allegri expects to have a striker who can score 20+ goals in the league, and he doesn’t really care where it comes from. There is no room for sentimentality: Milan must get back to fighting for the big prizes and they need a top striker to do that.
The most recent update is that Victor Boniface has actually emerged as the man that Milan want to come in take the No.9 shirt. The Bayer Leverkusen striker is tipped to join on an initial loan deal with an option to buy.
There are some concerns about Boniface from the point of view of physical reliability, but – as Milan found out in the Champions League last season, when he scored the winner in Germany – the Nigerian is a top striker.
With speed, power and elite finishing, Boniface could be the answer. There are actually some similarities with David, but they are generally very different moulds. That is perhaps why the Canadian was never really someone that was considered close to joining: Allegri wanted someone else.
David’s position
After signing for Juventus, Jonathan David explained why he opted to move to the Bianconeri despite the reported widespread interest.
“Growing up as a kid, I always looked up to a club like Juventus and thought, this is probably one of the top 10 biggest clubs in the world. So for me to be sitting here today is an honour,” David told the official Juve website.
“As a player I love to score, I love to be in the game and find ways to combine, to get my teammates involved. My biggest strength is just finding space and being in the right place at the right time.”
David was born in America, is a Canada international, who has played his football in Belgium and France, so how does he feel about coming to Italy?
“I’m very excited. Every step of the way is always a challenge, so coming to Serie A is also a challenge to adapt to the league, adapt to my teammates, and to be as successful as possible.”
David is also the first ever Canadian to play for Juventus, although not the first to represent his country in Serie A.
“It feels good. I am trying to pave the way for other Canadians who have the talent to one day do the same things I am doing now. I hope we have a great season and to do everything to win titles here.”
