Special guest of the show l’After FootOlivier Létang returned to LOSC news, which includes the future of Jonathan David, at the end of his contract in a few months.
Undefeated for ten matches, in all competitions, LOSC relies on a strong collective in which some individualities nevertheless emerge. Third top scorer in the history of LOSC, first with the Canadian selection, Jonathan David (24 years old) is inevitably one of the figures of the Lille squad. However, in addition to his goals (128 over his last four years), it is the Canadian's future which crystallizes the questions. Arriving in the North in August 2020, he found himself, five years later, at the end of his contract. In seven months, next June, he could be free to leave the Mastiffs.
“I have not had contact with OM”
President of LOSC, Olivier Létang was on the radio RMC this Wednesday, and he was obviously asked about his star striker: “Jonathan (David)’s situation is super simple. We are very happy to have him with us and last off-season, we had one year left. We could qualify for the Champions League and at one point, if you have a boy who scores twenty to twenty-five goals per season, we had the capacity to tell us that he could stay.
We were not forced to sell it. There was no offer. I have not had contact with OM (interest mentioned by Daniel Riolo). But our position was very clear from the start. We never said he wasn't going to play if he didn't start. We first thought of the athlete”first explains the Lille president.
The latter continues, now evoking the current news:
“Jonathan (David), obviously he already has an extension offer from the club in his hands. The ball is in his courtrepeats Olivier Létang. He will return this selection Thursday. We had seen each other before the international break, then even before that, we spoke. Jonathan said that LOSC was his club, he spent five years there and he loves it… We have a lot of discussions about that, about the fact that he can stay with us. There is also the risk of injury for players, with more and more injuries.
Coming back to Jonathan, he will not leave the club in January, and will stay with us because he is an important player. He’s a boy we’re going to have with us until May. We will finish the season together because we have objectives. We want to win, and finish as high as possible. Qualifying for the Champions League with a player who scores 20 to 25 goals balances out a transfer that hasn't happened.”he explains in detail.
“He must accept the extension offer, or not…”
In the columns of The AthleticAnglo-American media, Jonathan David already ruled out, a few days earlier, a departure from LOSC during the month of January: “Leaving one club to move to another in the middle of the season is never easy.
[…] Some people might say it's a downgrade if I stay at Lille, saying I'm stagnating. But for me, there are always opportunities to improve (in Lille or elsewhere, editor’s note)”confided the Canadian, once again the author of a selection achievement in recent hours.
“So the news is that he should accept the extension offer or not? »insisted Daniel Riolo, back on the radio waves RMC.
“Today the situation is this”replied Olivier Létang instinctively. All that remains is to wait for the Mastiffs who will celebrate their 80th anniversary this Sunday, during the reception at Stade Rennais.
