Canadian striker Jonathan David arrives in Italy for expected transfer to Juventus

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jul 04, 2025 7:47 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Canada guardant Jonathan David arrived successful Italy connected Friday for aesculapian tests up of an expected transportation to Juventus.

With his five-year declaration astatine Lille having expired, David tin articulation the grounds 36-time Italian champion connected a escaped transportation — the deficiency of an acquisition outgo serving to up his salary.

He volition motion a five-year woody worthy six cardinal euros ($9.61 million) per season, with up to 2 cardinal euros ($3.8 million) successful bonuses, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported.

It's the archetypal large marketplace determination by Juventus' caller wide manager Damien Comolli, who confirmed past period that Igor Tudor volition enactment connected arsenic coach.

Juventus needs firepower up beforehand with Dusan Vlahovic having fallen retired of favour and apt to permission the club.

The 25-year-old David scored 25 goals and provided 12 assists successful 49 matches crossed each competitions for Lille past season.

David is besides Canada's all-time starring men's scorer with 36 goals successful 67 appearances.

The determination to Juve is conscionable the latest measurement up for the prima guardant who has drawn rave reviews from past and contiguous Canada coaches.

"He's a peculiar talent," John Herdman said successful 2019. "I deliberation he's got large things coming."

"He's the smartest subordinate I've ever coached," existent Canada manager Jesse Marsch said past year. "And truthful his knowing of what's happening successful the crippled and however to determination astir to find the crippled successful the close way, to assistance the team, I deliberation is astatine a truly precocious level.

"And the squad knows that getting him successful the lucifer is truly important for us."

WATCH | CBC Sports sits down with Jonathan David up of 2026 World Cup, adjacent move:

Born successful Brooklyn, N.Y., David was 3 months aged erstwhile his household moved to their autochthonal Haiti and six erstwhile the household came northbound to Ottawa. He played for Gloucester Dragons Soccer, Ottawa Gloucester SC and Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club, representing Canada astatine the under-17 level.

A proceedings with KAA Gent successful Belgium came successful 2017 aft a scout saw him connected video. He went to Belgium doubly that year, spending clip with the 2nd squad earlier earning a full-time invitation. After finishing precocious schoolhouse successful Ottawa, helium returned to Europe to absorption full-time connected his soccer.

David had to hold until helium turned 18 successful January 2018, earlier helium could motion a pro contract.

Asked whether helium splurged connected thing aft signing his caller deal, David smiles and shakes his head.

"No, no. I wouldn't accidental I'm a large spender," helium said astatine the time. "I was conscionable beauteous happy."

He scored successful his league debut for KAA Gent that August with a precocious equalizer against Zulte-Waregem arsenic a substitute. And helium kept scoring disconnected the bench.

In August 2020, helium made the determination to France's Lille for a reported transportation interest of 30 cardinal euros ($46.8 million), which eclipsed Alphonso Davies' 2018 determination to Bayern Munich from the Vancouver Whitecaps.

David went connected to people 109 goals successful 231 games for Lille, including 25 successful 48 appearances past season, reaching the 100-goal milestone for Lille successful December erstwhile helium scored doubly successful a 3-1 triumph implicit Brest successful Ligue 1 play.

David made his elder debut for Canada successful September 2018 successful an 8-0 Nations League qualifying triumph implicit the U.S. Virgin Islands. He scored successful the 32nd infinitesimal to go the youngest subordinate to people for Canada connected his debut, past added different 5 minutes aboriginal to go conscionable the 5th to people doubly successful his archetypal match.

A two-time Canada Soccer Player of the Year (2019 and 2024), David lives up to his nickname of The Iceman. Nothing seems to faze him.

Soft-spoken and unassuming disconnected the pitch, helium is successful his constituent connected it. David is capable to driblet backmost and initiate attacks oregon decorativeness them. Able to find a crease successful absorption defences, helium has an uncanny knack of being successful the close spot astatine the close time. And erstwhile helium gets the ball, helium knows what to bash with it, capable to people with some feet oregon his head.

David's committedness to Canada was shown astatine the Gold Cup wherever helium played important minutes contempt being retired of contract, knowing an wounded could derail his big-money move.