Newcastle United emerge as frontrunners to strike deal with Champions League striker after ‘wait & see’ comments

Newcastle United are believed to be leading the charge to sign prolific Lille striker Jonathan David in the January transfer window as they aim to add further attacking prowess to their frontline.

Newcastle are in the market to sign a striker to provide further competition to last season’s top scorer Alexander Isak and are believed to be considering potential long-term replacements for the experienced Callum Wilson as he approaches the final months of his contract, according to Football Insider.

Give Me Sport understands Newcastle are the frontrunners to sign David in a deal which if successful would mark a huge statement of intent for the North East club after a subdued summer window.

The Canadian international continued his fine start to the season by bagging the winner for his team in an historic 1-0 over reigning European champions Real Madrid in a game which proved his ability to perform against one of the elite defences of world football.

That goal marked David’s eighth league goal of the campaign in all competitions and further earmarked him as a potential talent that could improve Eddie Howe’s squad.

David has long been considered a target for the St James’ Park club, but Lille have always been reluctant to the idea of selling one of their prized assets, who boasts a combined total of 92 goals in 195 matches since moving to Pierre Mauroy Stadium in 2020.

However, David faces an uncertain future at Lille as he approaches the final season of his contract and has hinted in the past that a transfer could be around the corner.

Back in September, the 24-year-old told The Athletic: “I spoke to a couple of teams. I spoke with coaches but ultimately I made the decision to stay. I’m in the last year of my contract. Eventually my contract is going to run out. So then we’ll see. We’ll see what happens next year.”

Lille were reportedly seeking a fee of around £42m for the pacey forward in the summer window, but Give Me Sport now understand that the Magpies may even try to prise him away on a free transfer by negotiating a pre-contract agreement for next summer.

The outlet also claims that Newcastle could look to strike a compromise with Lille and purchase him on a cut-price fee in January to rule out any possibility of a U-turn if his productive form in front of goal continues.