Reports that West Ham are the only club to lodge a serious offer for Lille striker Jonathan David have been labelled as complete and utter nonsense.
That is according to a source close to multiple transfer deals, who has told Claret & Hugh that “Almost all the big clubs have made an offer.”
David is available on a free transfer in the summer but is already allowed to negotiate with clubs outside of France. However, reports emerging late last night suggesting the Hammers were the only club to have made a concrete offer have been laughed off.
Speaking directly to C&H, a highly reliable source said: “Where did you get that from? That’s not true. The player has been getting offers left, right and centre.”
Our source continued: “West Ham are not leading the chase; they’re at the back of the queue. The new manager [Potter] wants him, but serious clubs are interested now. The player is worth £60m if he had a contract.”
We have been told consistently since December that the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Dortmund, and both Milan clubs are in for him.
Claret & Hugh have also been informed that the delay in David signing a deal is not due to a lack of offers, but because he has so many options
The “delay” could also simply be that he wishes it not to be public knowledge that he’s agreed to sign elsewhere as that could (even if unfairly) put pressure on him from fans.
Could be accusations of not trying, skipping out of challenges to avoid injury, etc.
But I’ll take whatever it is whoever reported that West Ham “were the only club to have made a concrete offer” is on.
When it comes to players under contract where there’s plenty of rumours about clubs being interested and if the club is demanding a high fee then only one “concrete offer” could be the case. For a striker just turned 25 who has 125 goals (and counting) at club and international level the past 5 seasons who is available to discuss terms for free then it’s obviously nonsense.