Blow for Juventus & Napoli as coveted free agent strays aways from Serie A move | OneFootball

Juventus and Napoli are reportedly trailing behind in the race for Jonathan David who is no longer expected to land in Italy this summer.

The 25-year-old spent the last five years at LOSC Lille, establishing himself as one of the deadliest strikers in French football.

However, the Canadian rejected all attempts made by the Ligue 1 side to keep him at the club beyond the current campaign, instead deciding to run down his contract. Therefore, David will be a free agent by the end of the month.

In recent weeks, Napoli were reported to be close to sealing an agreement with the player’s entourage, while Juventus have been tipped to launch a new onslaught to try and sway the player to Turin.

Jonathan David unlikely to sign for Juventus

Jonathan David (Getty Images)

Nevertheless, Italian football journalist Matteo Moretto doesn’t expect either side to find success on this track, as the high cost of the operation could hinder the transfer to Italy.

“Jonathan David is moving further and further away from Italy,” said the transfer market expert during his appearance on Fabrizio Romano’s YouTube channel  (as transcribed by TuttoJuve).

“Napoli were in a very advanced position in their negotiations with David. They were leading the race and had almost reached a verbal agreement with the player.

Serie A clubs cannot afford David

“Napoli offered a four-year contract with a salary that goes beyond 6 million euros net per season, a very important figure, so Napoli had made a significant effort for David.

“But what I can tell you today is that at this moment the percentages of seeing David in Italy, and I also include Juventus, especially due to commissions.

“David is certainly much closer to a foreign destination today rather than an Italian one.”

As previously reported, David is only a free agent by name, as sources estimate his arrival to weigh around €34 million on the budget in the first year between his salary, sign-on bonus, agent comissions and intermediary fees.