Player Analysis: Jonathan David

A mere eight months after ending Paris Saint-Germain's domestic dominance and winning their first Ligue 1 title in a decade, Lille find themselves 12th in Ligue 1 after a summer exodus that saw them lose Boubakary Soumare, Luiz Araujo, Mike Maignan, and perhaps most importantly, manager Christophe Galtier. However, perhaps the lone shining light in Les Dogues' worrying form is the breakthrough campaign of 21-year-old Jonathan David.

Born in New York City to Haitian parents, David moved to Port-au-Prince, Haiti when he was three months old before emigrating to Ottawa, Canada at the age of six. David remained in Canada until 2018, when, after finally turning 18 years of age, he left for Europe and joined Belgian side Gent.

David made his professional debut on August 4, 2018 against Zulte Waregem and scored a stoppage-time goal to salvage a 1-1 draw; one month later, he made his senior debut for the Canadian national team and bagged a brace in a 8-0 win against the U.S. Virgin Islands. Overall, David would score 37 goals and 15 assists in 83 appearances for Gent, earning the attention of Lille who signed him on a five-year contract on August 11, 2020.

Perhaps the pressure of being the most expensive Canadian transfer to date, the pressure of replacing outgoing striker Victor Osimhen, and the adaptation to Ligue 1's physical style of play can all be attributed to David's slow start at France. David did not score his first goal in France's top-flight until November 22, netting the final goal and picking up an assist in a 4-0 win against Lorient.