Jonathan David's future at French outfit Lille is the subject of further speculation amid interest from two sides with very different prospects in the Premier League.
The New York-born forward has long been touted with a switch to the Premier League after lighting up Ligue 1 with his stellar goalscoring form.
At just 22 years of age, David has already caught the eye of both Arsenal and Newcastle United and both of the English sides are rumoured to be willing to do battle to secure his signature.
Given his age, David would represent a signing that can not only meet the respective demands of either club right now, but also have the time and potential to grow into an even bigger talent in the years to come.
Things in France have taken a steep decline from Lille's perspective, with David's side falling some way short of retaining their Ligue 1 crown and currently languish as low as 11th after 25 games played.
As a result, David's individual output has shown signs of slowing down as well, yet his current return of 12 league goals would still make him the top scorer at both Arsenal and Newcastle.
The Gunners already have previous when it comes to doing business with Lille following the recent signings of both Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Newcastle are thought to be in constant communication with the player's representatives with a view to a summer switch.
Why do Arsenal want him?
Mikel Arteta's decision to opt against signing a new striker in the wake of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure for Barcelona raised eyebrows.
The Gunners boss committed to trying to achieve Champions League qualification this season without any kind of attacking reinforcements.
What happens between now and May is likely to impact Arsenal's chances of signing David.
Given both Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are out of contract come the end of the season, Arsenal have very little choice but to sign at least one striker.
David most certainly fits the age profile of Arsenal's recent signings and could very well be the forward Arteta has pinpointed as the one he wants to spearhead the Gunners youth revolution.
Why do Newcastle want him?
The Magpies have already spent relatively big on one striker recently after the £25million acquisition of Chris Wood from Burnley.
The New Zealand international is yet to find the back of the net while wearing the famous black and white shirt and is unlikely to lead the line for the long-term.
Alongside Wood currently is Callum Wilson, undoubtedly Newcastle's most prolific option but the England international has seen his season littered with injuries.
Given Newcastle's newfound endless pot of wealth as a result of the recent Saudi-led takeover, the club are expected to splash the cash come the summer.
This could make Eddie Howe's side the more likelier of the two to secure David's services should Lille demand an astronomical fee.
Will Lille sell this summer?
Lille have a long history of seeing their best players leave for the bright lights of the Premier League and there is every chance David follows the same path.
However, given the reigning Ligue 1 champions currently boast a number of in-demand assets in the form of Renato Sanches and Sven Botman, they are unlikely to allow David leave on the cheap.
Gaining some kind of fee for Sanches is likely to be the priority for the Lille hierarchy this summer given the former Bayern Munich man has a deal that expires next summer.
As a result, this window presents Lille's last realistic chance to earn some compensation off the back of his depature.
David, meanwhile, is tied to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy until the summer of 2025 and in turn will cost whoever is serious in their interest a whopping fee to lure him across the Channel.
