It was November 2nd, and there have been happier days. Few were happier than Ronaldinho, though. On that November 2nd, 2004, Dinho was drawing with Barça against Ancelotti's Milan - a Champions League match, nothing too brutal - when he decided to shatter a couple of myths. He invented a nutmeg between Gattuso and Nesta, then struck hard with his left foot into the top corner. Dida, let's say, dived in admiration. Candido Cannavò wrote a piece titled "a stroke of genius," and Jonathan David, an ocean away, at that very moment decided he would take things seriously. That day - he said it himself - he began to dream of the Champions League, a dream realised 17 years later. Now, there's a chance that David might cross paths with Milan again, writes La Gazzetta dello Sport.
AC Milan has been appreciating Jonathan David for years, but in the summer, amidst the Mehdi Taremi situation and the race for a striker, the attempt to bring him to Milan two years ahead of his natural contract expiration went almost unnoticed.
Lille didn't let Furlani and Moncada get close to signing Jonathan David and wished everyone a good autumn: "let's talk about it again." Now, Milan is more than willing to revisit this because while Olivier Giroud is fantastic, scoring and all, he is 37 years of age.
And Noah Okafor has made it clear he'll never be a number 9 at heart. Yes, there's a chance the negotiation for David might take off as soon as January, not just in the summer.
And David didn't start the season well: 2 goals in 8 league matches, another 2 in the Conference League against Olimpia Ljubljana and Rijeka, it's a bit low for a guy who closed last season with 24 league goals.
Qualities don't just vanish, however. David is quick, scores goals, has a sense for assists, finds the net with both feet. And he won a league title with Maignan, who is already at Milan. Obviously, David is very different from Giroud, he's not the world's best number 9 when it comes to team play, but the qualities are there, and at 23, there's plenty of time to improve, as per the newspaper.
That's why Milan hasn't stopped thinking about it, and much will depend on Lille, caught in the usual dilemma: 'Do I sell a year, a year and a half before expiration, or do I say no and risk losing him for nothing?' The price that has often been discussed, 60 million euros, will have to come down.
October rumors: Lille will ask for at least 40 million, which is certainly more accessible for Milan. At least an approach will be made in January.
