It would be easy, as your country’s all-time leading goalscorer and the most sought-after transfer target in Europe for several years, to get a little smug.
Not so much, for 25-year-old Canadian striker Jonathan David, Juventus’ newest addition.
On Friday, the Serie A giants announced that they had reached a five-year agreement with David, and one that will pay him at least $7 million per season, reports suggest. It’s a landmark moment for him, and the latest growth in North Americans finding success in Europe.
Born in New York to Haitian immigrant parents, David grew up in Canada and has since taken on a methodical rise, tackling the stepping-stone Belgian league with KAA Gent before moving to France’s Lille and now making his most significant move.
“Growing up as a kid, I always looked up at a club like Juventus,” he said in his first interview with the club dubbed having finally put an end to a years-long transfer saga.“This is probably one of the top 10 biggest clubs in the world. So, for me, today, to be sitting here? It’s an honor.”
While the last few years have seen him linked to top clubs across Europe’s most significant leagues, Italy’s Serie A became the evident answer. At one point, Napoli, the reigning champions, were frontrunners, before Juventus improved their offer to attract the 5'10 striker.
Now, he is expected to take over starting duties for newly tipped head coach Igor Tudor at one of the world’s biggest clubs and face all the pressure that comes with it, especially at Juventus, which hasn’t won Serie A since 2020 after winning nine straight titles.
