PSG’s Striker Dilemma: Why Lille’s Jonathan David Could Be the Perfect Solution | OneFootball

It takes something incredibly special to knock Paris Saint-Germain off the top spot in Ligue 1. PSG has been able to dominate French football since being purchased by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011, winning 10 Ligue 1 titles, seven Coupe de France titles, six Coupe de la Ligue titles, and 11 Trophée des Champions titles.

In fact, since the start of the 2012/13 season, Paris Saint-Germain has failed to win the league title on just two occasions. When they lost out on the championship to Monaco in 2016/17, they responded by signing teenage wonderkid Kylian Mbappé for €180 million from Monaco as well as Brazilian superstar Neymar from Barcelona a world record €222 million. When they lost out on the championship to Lille in 2020/21, they responded by signing a bevy of world-renowned stars like Lionel Messi, Achraf Hakimi, and Sergio Ramos.

Read the full article by subscribing to PSG Talk Extra Time on Substack

PSG has been able to solidify a dynasty thanks in large part to world-class strikers like Zlatan Ibrahimović, who finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1 in 2012/13, 2013/14, and 2015/16, and Edinson Cavani, who finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1 in 2016/17 and 2017/18, and Mbappé, who finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1 in 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24. However, today, they find themselves in desperate need of a new center forward.

Why PSG Needs a New 9

On August 7, 2023, PSG signed Portuguese striker Gonçalo Ramos from Benfica for €65 million with an additional €15 million in potential bonuses. 25 days later, they purchased French striker Randal Kolo Muani for €80 million with an additional €5 million in potential bonuses. The idea was, once Mbappé departed in the following summer, one of these two players would be able to step into the void and assume the responsibility as PSG’s new 9.

Seventeen months later, it’s safe to say that neither of those investments has panned out. Kolo Muani joined Juventus on loan this week after struggling to make an impact at the Parc des Princes. And Ramos, despite managing 20 goals in 53 appearances, hasn’t quite been able to break into the starting line-up. Instead, Kang-in Lee has been entrusted to play as a false 9.

Before their midweek match vs. Manchester City, PSG manager Luis Enrique was asked why, unlike City, he wasn’t fielding a traditional striker in attack. His response: “What’s their center forward’s name? What’s the Manchester City striker’s name? Haaland, ok.”

It left no room for imagination: if Enrique was going to switch up his tactics and play a natural center forward as opposed to a false 9, he would need a better striker than Ramos or Kolo – he’d need a world-class center forward. Could Lille’s Jonathan David be the answer to their #9 predicament?

Carl Recine/Getty Images

Big-Game Experience

At 25 years of age, Jonathan David has already been able to deal with pressure and continue his linear growth into one of the top strikers in the game. After finishing as the joint-top scorer in Belgium’s top-flight, David left for Ligue 1 side Lille for €30 million in 2020, becoming the most expensive Canadian player of all time. Whilst he initially struggled to cope with the increased physicality of French football, David was able to hit his stride and score 13 Ligue 1 goals – 11 after the turn of the year – during the 2020/21 season. His most important goal came on April 3, when he opened the scoring after 20 minutes to secure Lille’s first league win at the Parc des Princes in 25 years. Thanks to this win, Lille was able to assume the leaderboard and narrowly edge PSG to the league title.

Since then, David has found the back of the net on three occasions vs. PSG – including a 94th-minute equalizer in December 2023. David has been able to establish himself as a big-game player for club and country, a player who delivers when the stakes are the highest. He scored a 118th-minute penalty in August to beat Fenerbahçe and secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League, where David has since found the back of the net vs. Real Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool, as well as a brace vs. Atlético Madrid. He’s got ice in his veins, and he’s more than capable of delivering the goods when the lights are at their brightest.

Consistent Scoring

If there’s one thing Jonathan David knows how to do, it’s score goals. He’s racked up 103 goals and 25 assists in 214 appearances for Lille, making him the third-top scorer in club history and Lille’s top all-time scorer in European competitions, whilst he’s also racked up 31 goals in 59 appearances for Canada since making his international debut in 2018, making him the all-time leading scorer in the history of the national team.

“[David is] a tremendous player,” said Steven Caldwell, who worked as an assistant coach for Canada between 2019 and 2021. “He’s a very smart player who understands what’s asked of him defensively, he’s second to none in attack.”

“You don’t have to repeat things to him too often, he gets it quickly,” added Caldwell. “He’s a humble, down-to-earth, hard-working guy. He quietly goes about his business and does his job, he scores a lot of goals, and I think he’s going to keep improving through his mid-thirties. His brain is so smart that I think he’s going to keep improving. It was a pleasure coaching him…he’s going to go somewhere huge this summer.”

David doesn’t just have regular experience in the UEFA Champions League, but in Ligue 1 as well. He’s finished in Ligue 1’s top three scorers in each of the past two seasons, and today, he’s already racked up 11 goals in Ligue 1, second only to Mason Greenwood (12). As such, it’s likely that he won’t need so much time to make the adjustment and adapt to life in Paris.

Continue reading by subscribing to PSG Talk Extra Time on Substack