Juventus striker Jonathan David has completed a loan move to Atletico Madrid.
Previously, Atletico had monitored a deal for Nicolas Jackson, but the striker has since joined Aston Villa from Chelsea. Atletico have since pivoted their attention to securing David on a loan deal.
Sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity so they could do so candidly, indicated the move for the 26-year-old is to increase the club’s depth at centre-forward rather than replace any of the strikers already present — namely, Julian Alvarez given the interest in him from Arsenal and Barcelona.
David had a disappointing debut campaign with Juventus, scoring six league goals, after joining the Turin club on a free transfer from Lille last summer. His contract at Juventus runs through to 2030.
He had previously enjoyed a successful five-year spell with French club Lille, which saw him hit double figures in the Ligue 1 goalscoring charts in each of his seasons with the club. Chelsea held talks with David’s representatives in June 2024, but did not proceed with a move.
The Canadian was a prominent figure for his country as it co-hosted this summer’s World Cup. He scored three goals in his five appearances, though they all came in the 6-0 group-stage win against Qatar.
He notched 25 or more goals in each of his final three seasons at Lille, including some important contributions in the Champions League, including the winner in a 1-0 victory against Real Madrid, and a brace in a 3-1 win against Atletico Madrid during his final season at the club.