Jonathan David, Juventus takes the iceman to thaw its attack

Turin – Jonathan David will be the first Canadian footballer in the history of Juventus . The striker, who was released from Lille, reached an agreement with the Bianconeri club last night for a four-year deal worth 6 million euros per season plus 2 million in bonuses. It is the first signing for Comolli 's Juventus , he was a target not only for the Bianconeri, given his status as a luxury free agent. A few hours after the official end of the season, with the elimination from the Club World Cup by Real Madrid , the start of the new one has arrived, with the first transfer market signing that will be defined in detail in the next few hours.

One hundred and nine goals in five years for David

It was already known that the attack needed a makeover: the situation of Kolo Muani to be defined, the Vlahovic issue to be resolved, the lack of a striker capable of concretizing the game produced. Jonathan David is all of this and has demonstrated it in the five seasons at Lille, where he arrived from Gent to replace Osimhen who moved to Napoli, playing alongside Weah, Ikoné, Djalo. In five seasons with the French he has collected 232 appearances, 109 goals between Ligue 1, national cup and Champions League, one of which against his new team in the match last winter, which ended 1-1: goals accompanied by 30 assists, which confirm his offensive versatility and the ability to also play for his teammates.

A luxury free agent

If the agreement with the player was reached almost immediately, the matter is different regarding the commissions to be paid to his agents, which have risen to 15 million. In modern football it is increasingly rare to talk about real "free parameters", but it is undeniable that the amount paid by Juventus for the Canadian national team centre forward is decidedly convenient compared to his value: there was strong pressure on him from numerous teams, between the Premier League and Serie A. A few weeks ago an agreement with Napoli seemed to be within reach, but then it fell through. In addition to his consistent performances, last season also attracted the attention of the big clubs in Europe: in 49 games he has in fact scored 25 goals (26 in the previous two) with 12 assists. Numbers of a pure striker, who combines speed and instinct in front of goal, a quick but also physically strong physique (178 centimetres), he can play in various positions in the attack, from central striker to attacking midfielder to outside striker.

Welcome to Turin, "Iceman"

David was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 14, 2000 to a family of Haitian origins, he grew up between Haiti and Canada, choosing citizenship of the country of the maple leaf. However, he has not forgotten his origins: together with the former US national Tony Sanneh, he supports the project to support the children of the Cité Soleil, the largest slum in Port-au-Prince. In Canada he discovered soccer, deciding that it would be his path: his points of reference in his technical growth were Ronaldinho, Henry and Eto'o. After taking flight in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League with the Gent jersey, he became the best scorer ever for Canada and Lille. Cold in front of goal, to the point that the former coach of Canada, John Herdman, nicknamed him “Iceman”. With his purchase, Juventus will open the doors of the North American market to the black and white club, combining technical opportunities and marketing development. A deal not only from a technical point of view.