Canada striker Jonathan David has admitted he was a big fan of Barcelona growing up, in a revelation which may worry fans of Manchester United and Arsenal.
Both Premier League sides have been linked with the Lille frontman in recent years, though he has remained in France for the time being. With Lille at risk of missing out on Champions League football, though, this summer could see him move to another of Europe's big five leagues.
Man Utd's striker search has seen them revive their pursuit of Harry Kane, while Arsenal landed Gabriel Jesus last summer. Were either club to come back in for David, though, they are now very much aware of his fondness for Barcelona.
“I was a big fan of Barcelona when I was younger,” David told Winamax FC (as translated by Get French Football News ). However, while he looked up to Barca star Ronaldinho, ex-Arsenal hero Thierry Henry - who also spent time at Camp Nou - was another who made an impression.
“When I was young, my idol was Ronaldinho because he was a player that could do everything on the pitch, but he wasn’t in the same position as me," David continued. "I also liked to follow the example of players such as Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba,”
Henry, who remains Arsenal's all-time top scorer in the Premier League, left for Barcelona in 2007. He won the Champions League with the Catalan club in 2009, but would later return to North London for a second spell.
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After helping Lille beat Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title in 2020-21, David added 15 further goals last season. He has taken things up a notch again this season, scoring 19 times in 27 appearances to tie Kylian Mbappe at the top of the scoring charts in the French top tier.
Back in October, David appeared to open the door for a move to one of Europe's top clubs. While his World Cup campaign the following month didn't go to plan, with Canada falling at the first hurdle, his form in France has continued to catch the eye.
"Yeah, you know for me, I was always watching European football on TV," he told Sky Sports News. "So, for me that was always the goal. For me it was, I only wanted to go to Europe.
"The next step is always growing, having more ambition, a bigger club I think. Every player wants to play for a massive club in their life. So I think if I had the chance to do it, I'll go for it for sure.
"I think they're two different leagues [the Premier League and La Liga]. But I think I can adapt to both for sure. And I think with the experience that I've had here in France, it will help me a lot if I need to adapt to some place else a lot faster. So yeah I think both leagues suit me."
