Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target Jonathan David has admitted that he rejected a move to the Premier League in the past after prioritising playing time.
The Canadian forward has been linked with a switch to England on numerous occasions - the Blues emerging as the most recent candidates for his services having lodged an enquiry as per reports in his home country.
It remains to be seen whether those early probes into his future will progress into a tangible effort to take him to Stamford Bridge, but it would certainly not be the first time that a move to English shores was on the cards.
Manchester United were spoken of as admirers for the now 22-year-old ahead of his 2020 move from Gent to Lille, with the striker himself admitting that he chose a switch to France due to his desire for playing time.
Speaking with France Bleu Nord, he said: “Everyone knows the Premier League is a high-quality league. But my choice was dictated by the fact that above all, I wanted to be sure of playing.
“My choice was made quite early. But I understand that it took a little while to finalise between the two clubs.
“Gent wanted to keep me one more season, but I had made my choice and they respected it.”
David’s decision certainly appears to have paid off, despite a slow start to life in France. He scored 13 goals during the 2020/21 season as Lille lifted a shock Ligue 1 title, whilst he has followed that up with 16 strikes during the first-half of the current season.
Should Chelsea or Arsenal offer him the opportunity to move to the Premier League once more, it would be interesting to note whether he would again reject the opportunity.
His agent Nick Mavromas has already hinted that a move to England could potentially be on the cards for his client.
He said: "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 good option for him. I think that he likes Spain a lot also because he likes the feeling of the ball and the very technical players.
"These two leagues are a big priority for him, but nothing is excluded."
David still has three-and-a-half years left on his contract at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.
