'I'm Europe's most-wanted striker，I could finally join Spurs after £55m failure'

Jonathan David, who was identified as Harry Kane's replacement at Tottenham Hotspur before the England captain left for Bayern Munich, is available on a free transfer this summer

Tottenham could snap up a player once regarded as Harry Kane's first-choice successor as a free agent this summer. Ever since Kane's big-money switch to Bayern Munich two years ago, Spurs have been on the hunt for someone to step into his boots.

Had they heeded the counsel of ex-manager Antonio Conte, they might have splashed out on Jonathan David, the Lille goal machine. Conte and former sporting director Fabio Paratici were reportedly big fans of David before their Spurs departures in early 2023.

Following Kane's exit that summer, talk of a £55million swoop for the Canadian striker never materialised. Having been on the radar of several English clubs, David's move to the Premier League could finally be on the cards after he confirmed his departure from Lille at the end of his contract this summer.

He recently announced on social media: "Every story has a beginning and an end. I wanted to tell you myself that, after many years at the club, it is time for me to say goodbye."

The 25-year-old leaves behind an impressive tally of 109 goals in 231 matches for Lille, notching up 25 in 49 games this term alone. His talents haven't gone unnoticed, with Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Barcelona and Real Madrid all reportedly keeping tabs on the prolific forward.

Spurs are reportedly well in the mix for David's signature, with Villa, Juventus and Conte's Napoli also in talks, according to French media. L'Equipe has also mentioned an "exotic club" laying out a "golden bridge" for the player.

Newcastle's interest seems to be waning, reports ChronicleLive, despite David's agent, Nick Mavromaras, being spotted at a Magpies match in March. The Carabao Cup winners are said to be setting their sights on alternative targets while David considers his future.

While securing David's services won't involve a transfer fee, clubs will need to fork out for his hefty salary, signing-on bonus and agent's fees, potentially pushing the initial outlay beyond the £10million mark.

While it would be no surprise to see David in the Premier League, he has previously expressed a preference for La Liga, telling the It's Call Soccer podcast earlier this year: "I think I can adapt to every league.

"Every league has its differences. The Premier League is a lot faster and more physical than all of the other leagues. But for me, I grew up watching a lot of La Liga and for me, that would be my preferred league. That is the league that I enjoyed watching the most so one day I would like to play there."

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