Jonathan David form can give Liverpool the edge over Arsenal – RTK View

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Both Liverpool and Arsenal want Jonathan David, according to reports. His recent form should give the Reds the edge in any race.

Le10Sport claims Liverpool and Arsenal are both fighting it out for Lille striker Jonathan David. Paris Saint-Germain also have their eyes on the Canadian, however.

Now, David is one of the most promising young strikers in Europe, having helped Lille win Ligue 1 in his first season. He then began this campaign on fire, outscoring Kylian Mbappe over the first half of the season.

Things have dropped off since, however. David is no longer scoring goals at a strong rate – last weekend was his first strike since before Christmas. It’s form that will likely worry any potential buyer but we think it might actually be good news for Liverpool.

Liverpool must look at Jonathan David

We’re big, big fans of David – a player considered a ‘phenomenon’ since his pre-Lille days. In fact, Liverpool reportedly looked at signing the striker back when they eventually opted for Diogo Jota.

That interest certainly isn’t down to David’s goalscoring. He’s a much more rounded player, with his pressing standing out across Europe’s top five leagues. He’s fit right in and could even be a dream partner for Jota as the two absolutely excel in their pressing.

And that’s why we think Liverpool won’t judge his poor form in 2022 quite as harshly as Arsenal. The two clubs are after different things here.

Arsenal need a star to lead the line, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving the club and Alexandre Lacazette looking likely to follow. It’s why they pursued Dusan Vlahovic so intensely before his move to Juventus. The Gunners need goals and David’s lack of them should put them off a little.

Liverpool, though, aren’t in desperate need of goals and can afford patience with any forward siging. The Reds boast Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Diogo Jota – three of Europe’s best scorers – and both Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz are capable of delivering, too.

David, then, can be judged on his pressing and all-around game. The goals will likely come – or at least, Liverpool can back themselves to develop him accordingly – but can Arsenal take that same chance? We’re not sure they can.

And that should hand the advantage in this race to Liverpool.