Barcelona withdraw from Jonathan David race but reason crushes West Ham delusions. West Ham thought they’d been given a boost in their pursuit if Jonathan David but it’s quite the opposite.
West Ham have been linked with Lille striker Jonathan David for as many fans care to remember. His availability on a free transfer this summer and the fact West Ham are seriously strapped for transfer cash has seen those links intensify to new levels, though.
Canada striker David is arguably the most coveted free agent of the summer transfer window. Alongside Kevin De Bruyne after his announcement he is leaving Man City.
West Ham manager Graham Potter has reportedly been quietly confident of beating David’s boyhood club Barcelona to his signature.
Potter right about West Ham being able to beat Barcelona to star. That has led to journalists and sites with strong contacts at the London Stadium continually claiming West Ham are in with a real chance of signing the 25-year-old.
That’s despite David always looking like a pipedream for the Hammers. Especially given the club has no European football to offer and just two weeks ago David said on TV that he must be playing at the very top level – meaning Champions League – at his next club.
The reports of positive meetings with his agent and West Ham ‘moving up the queue’ in the bid to sign him have persisted, though. Well it seems Potter was right about one thing.
His confidence in beating Barca to David was well founded.
Because Barcelona have withdrawn from the David race but the reason crushes West Ham delusions.
West Ham’s chances of signing David were being talked up by The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas just yesterday.
But while Barca are out of the way, it now seems the dream is over. The Catalan giants are still working within a tight financial budget and are sticking to a 1:1 transfer policy.
Barcelona withdraw from David race but reason crushes West Ham delusions
That will require Barcelona to only sign new players based on profit generated by income arriving at the club in the coming months primarily from player sales according to Football Espana.
As a result of the finances and a lack of agreement among the hierarchy at the club, Barcelona have pulled out of the running.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo who claim he now looks set to sign for Serie A title hopefuls Inter Milan instead.
David has 23 goals and 10 assists in 43 matches this season and a stunning running career total of 177 for club and country. Hammers dreams dead with David now set for Inter Milan. The report notes serious interest from multiple Premier League clubs – which includes West Ham.
But Inter Milan are now expected to press home a deal to bring him to the San Siro.
The current Serie A leaders are preparing what’s described as a “bumper offer” for David on £8m per year for five years and a ‘sizeable signing-on bonus’.
Inter Milan can offer David the Champions League football he demands as well as the wages and competing for titles.
West Ham were never realistically in the race for one of the top young strikers in Europe when they can’t even offer European football.
David has just been playing in the Champions League with Lille. So why would he elect to join West Ham, currently fighting to avoid being the worst team in the Premier League outside the bottom three.
The big positive here is that at least this news has come now, well before the summer window opens on June 1st.
That should ensure the Hammers don’t waste anymore time chasing rainbows.
Better still it doesn’t give the board the old ‘we tried’ excuse.
There is nothing wrong with being ambitious. But David was not ambitious it was delusional. This news forces West Ham to be more realistic with their targets.
