Tottenham hijacked Jonathan David  from Man City and Arsenal, player deal almost done ‘£65m’ reveal – sources

Tottenham hijacked Jonathan David  from Man City and Arsenal, player deal almost done ‘£65m’ reveal – sources

Tottenham have joined the race to try and sign Lille forward Jonathan David this summer – and a £25m offer could land his signature.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed Spurs will face competition to sign him from Chelsea and Man United.

Sources say that the Ligue 1 side would be willing to accept a fee of £25million for the striker, which has attracted even more attention to him.

Spurs are in the market for a striker this summer, with Ange Postecoglou said to be “obsessed” with signing a number nine.

Tottenham would gain a natural goalscorer in Jonathan David
Signing David might not be challenging because Spurs would face competition to sign him, but he would be a smart piece of business.

The striker scored 26 goals in 47 appearances for Lille last season in all competitions, with 19 of those taking place in Ligue 1.

Finding the back of the net is something David has consistently done throughout his young career, with 121 in 266 performances at this point.

David is fresh off international duty where he played a significant role in Canada reaching the semi-final of the Copa America.

Tottenham to accept Hojbjerg offer after agreeing replacement deal – expert

Tottenham’s new arrival Archie Gray“opens the door” for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to leave as they view the new boy as a midfielder.

That’s the view of former Spurs and Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who remains well connected with his former clubs and was speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast.

Gray recently joined the Premier League side from Leeds for a fee of £40million, and he brings versatility due to his ability to play right-back.

Adding quality to the middle of the park could lead to Hojbjerg departing, with Football Insider previously reporting that Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid are interested in him.

Robinson believes that sometimes the games “pass him by” due to the speed and intensity of the Premier League, which could make a move across Europe appealing for the 28-year-old.

Tottenham will utilize Archie Gray in midfield
Gray spent the second half of last season predominantly playing right back for his former club, which was a role that seemed comfortable for him.

However, the teenager is a natural midfielder who can play both defensively and in an attacking position.

“Tottenham see him as a midfielder; they’ve signed him as a midfield player,” Robinson told Football Insider.

“No doubt that the club see him as a midfielder and that’s his position, and I think those conversations will have been had before the move was sanctioned.

“I know he filled in at right back for the second half of last season for Leeds and he did extremely well, [but] I don’t think that’s where he sees himself in the future.

“I think he’s got the versatility to play there and I think that’s one thing that obviously attracts other teams to sign Archie Gray.

“But I think from a Tottenham point of view, from a player’s point of view, he’s a central midfield player.

“He’s got a great engine, he can play both roles as a holding midfielder or an attacking midfielder, but also it gives Tottenham an option.”

Man City could land dream Grealish replacement in swoop for £75m “threat”

One of Manchester City’s players will be crowned a European champion on Sunday when Spain take on England in Germany for the 2024 European Championship final.

Rodri will come away with yet another winner’s medal in his career if the Spaniards come out on top, whilst John Stones, Phil Foden, and Kyle Walker have all been regular starters for the Three Lions.

City have three of the nation’s 11 starters in their squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and Pep Guardiola may hope that a success for their country at the Euros can help to motivate them to push for more success at club level next term.

England winning the Euros could also be fantastic motivation for some of the English players who did not make the cut in the Cityzens squad, such as Rico Lewis and Jack Grealish.

23/24 Premier League

Jack Grealish

Appearances

20

Goals

3

Assists

1

Big chances created

3

Key passes per game

1.4

Dribbles completed per game

0.9

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Grealish only produced four goals and assists combined in 20 Premier League appearances for the club last season.

He ranked within the bottom 24% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for assists per 90 (0.09), which illustrates how little the English forward offered as a creative threat for his side.

His poor form during the 2023/24 campaign came after a promising term the previous year. Grealish had racked up five goals, seven assists, and 12 ‘big chances’ created in 28 Premier League starts in the 2022/23 season.

The 28-year-old’s struggles on the pitch seemingly cost him a place in the England squad and they may now cost him his future at Manchester City.

Football Insider reported earlier this month that the Premier League champions are prepared to cash in on the left winger during the summer transfer window.

The outlet claimed that the Cityzens will sell him if a team is prepared to offer a fair chunk of the £100m that they paid to sign him from Villa three years ago.

It added that the Villans are one of the clubs that would jump at the chance to land the English whiz if they could agree a deal with Guardiola’s side.

City could now find a dream replacement for Grealish ahead of next season by swooping to snap up one of their reported transfer targets from a Premier League rival.

Man City’s interest in Premier League winger
Football Insider recently reported that the Manchester giants are one of the teams interested in a possible move to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United this summer.

The outlet stated that City have joined fellow English side Liverpool in the race to sign the Magpies speedster before the end of the transfer window.

It revealed that Guardiola is looking for a ‘lethal’ forward to bolster his team’s attack ahead of next season and that Gordon has been identified as someone who could be exactly that.

Liverpool have already held talks with Newcastle over a potential deal for the England international but have not pursued it any further due to how high their demands are.

Football Insider did not reveal the details of those demands but CaughtOffside have reported that it could take around £75m to land the winger, who is also wanted by Chelsea and Manchester United, this summer.

Why Man City should sign Anthony Gordon
If City can find a team to sign Grealish for a sizeable fee before the end of the transfer window then they should swoop to sign Gordon as a dream replacement for him.

Firstly, the Newcastle star has already replaced the Cityzens dud in the England squad. He was called up to the Euros this summer as a left wing option ahead of the 28-year-old, possibly due to his fantastic form on the pitch for the Magpies.

Gordon enjoyed a terrific season in the Premier League for Eddie Howe’s side and deservedly earned himself a call-up to play in Germany, albeit not as a first-choice option on the wing, as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Phil Foden have occupied the attacking midfield roles.

The 23-year-old wizard, who was once described as a “constant threat” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, had the perfect build-up to the 2023/24 campaign with two goals and one assist in six games for England’s U21s as they won the U21 European Championship trophy in 2023.

23/24 Premier League

Anthony Gordon

Jack Grealish

Appearances

35

20

Goals

11

3

Assists

10

1

Big chances created

16

3

Dribbles completed per game

1.5

0.9

Stats via Sofascore