Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United may soon concede defeat in their pursuits of Lille striker Jonathan David, who is supposedly close to agreeing personal terms with a Serie A giant.
The Canada international will be one of the most high-profile free agents on the market when his deal with the 2020-21 Ligue 1 champions officially runs out at the end of next month.
A Premier League move has been mooted for David for some time now, and it was claimed earlier this month that Arsenal were at the head of the queue to capture the 25-year-old.
Spurs and Man United have also been keeping tabs on the Canadian's situation, though, while Chelsea and Liverpool were also linked with a cut-price move earlier in the transfer window.
However, the Premier League quintet all faced intense competition from foreign clubs for the signature of David, and according to Sky Sports News, Napoli are close to agreeing personal terms with him.
David 'close' to Napoli agreement
© Imago
The Serie A champions are currently at the head of the queue to sign the 25-year-old on a free transfer, but there are still a few hurdles for Antonio Conte's side to clear, most notably the threat of Juventus.
The Bianconeri apparently made contact with David's entourage on Thursday and are hoping to hijack his possible switch to Naples, but Inter Milan could not strike an agreement with him earlier this summer.
However, the report adds that Premier League teams competing in the Champions League have still asked to be kept abreast of developments, in addition to unnamed teams from elsewhere in Europe.
David will leave Lille with a record of 109 goals and 30 assists in 232 matches for Les Dogues across all competitions, proving to be a brilliant acquisition since a £22.7m from Gent in 2020.
A stellar 2024-25 campaign saw David score 25 times and set up 12 goals in 49 appearances for Lille, who finished fifth in the Ligue 1 table to qualify for the Europa League.
Which club will lose the hardest if David joins Napoli?
© IconSport
In reality, Chelsea should not bat an eyelid at losing out on David, as the Blues are set to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town in a £30m deal and are also pushing for Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are focusing their efforts on a club-record deal for Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz, whom the Reds have apparently now submitted a mammoth £109.3m bid for.
Arsenal have always been expected to pursue either Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko rather than David, as the Gunners are in a strong position financially heading into the window.
However, signing a striker of David's calibre on a free transfer would have been a major coup for a cash-strapped Man United, who must sell to buy after wrapping up a £62.5m deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Cunha.
Ben Knapton
