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Football London
Football London
Sport
Chris Wheatley

Mikel Arteta will have one eye on Chelsea vs Lille as Arsenal target £45mil summer transfer

Arsenal are continuing to monitor Lille striker Jonathan David with the Canadian international set to feature against London rivals Chelsea in the Champions League tonight.

David's agent met with Arsenal technical director Edu at the end of December as the Gunners sounded out potential new strikers ahead of the January transfer window.

Whilst Arsenal missed out on their main target Dusan Vlahovic, who signed for Juventus, they were also hampered by Financial Fair Play regulations when looking to add to their squad.

football.london understands that Arsenal scouts continue to monitor David's progress ahead of the summer transfer window, while Lille's financial situation could also prompt a firesale in the coming months.

Additionally, Lille have been ordered to pay Sporting Lisbon €20million (£17million) by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a decision that may see the French side look to recoup finances by selling their best players.

"I'm under contract at LOSC [Lille] ", he recently told Jeunes Footeux.

"The most important thing for me is to finish the season as well as possible.

"What happens after that, we will see. The Premier League attracts everyone. It is the most competitive league in the world. It is a really good league."

David's agent, Nick Mavromaras, also dropped a huge hint that England could be his next destination during a recent interview.

Mavromaras said to Radio Canada 's Tellement Soccer podcast: "I can't say his price today, that has to do with Lille. Jonathan won't show it, but he knows he is one of the best young forwards in the world.

"There is also Erling Haaland, who now costs between €75million (£62.4million) and €100million (£83.2million). There have been transfers of €150million (£124.8million). If you want to be part of that list, you have to learn to manage the pressure.

"For us, the goal is to finish the season in Lille, but it will be his last season there for several reasons. I think the Premier League is a great option for him. I think he likes Spain a lot too because he likes playing with the ball and alongside very technical players.

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"These two leagues are a big priority for him, but nothing is excluded. You never know, with Paris Saint-Germain or the big Italian clubs.

"It is normal that all of these big clubs are interested in the top scorer in Ligue 1, but I can tell you that today, there is no official offer."

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