Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Juventus striker Jonathan David, with reports from Ekrem Konur suggesting the Italian club could accept £30.07m-£33.74m for the 26-year-old. Manchester United and ***** nal have also been mentioned, but Villa are being presented as the club currently best placed to make a move.
There is one problem with the whole argument, though. Villa's situation has changed dramatically.
Ollie Watkins is no longer the obvious, immovable centre-forward at Villa Park. Al-Hilal are pushing hard for the England international, with Sky Sports reporting that a €45m (£38.5m) offer has already been rejected and negotiations are continuing. That matters a lot.
Morgan Rogers has already left Aston Villa, while Watkins' future is increasingly uncertain after he missed the opening-day defeat by Brighton amid the Saudi interest. So Villa suddenly do need attacking reinforcements, and that makes the David story rather more interesting.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 28: Jonathan David #10 of Canada looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between South Africa and Canada at Los Angeles Stadium on June 28, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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