Back in the summer of 2020, Ligue 1 Lille had big ambitions and splashed out to sign Canadian striker Jonathan David whilst failing in a bid to sign Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos.
Amid a backdrop of financial issues, the French side set out to invest big in their squad with the attack looking to be bolstered and both Alfredo Morelos and Jonathan David at the top of the club’s list.
But whilst Lille succeeded in securing a reported £27.3m deal for Jonathan David from Belgian club AA Gent, their substantial bid for Alfredo Morelos was rebuffed by Steven Gerrard.
Given the Colombian would go on to play a key role in the 55 title-winning season, perhaps it was a good move in the end, but Rangers haven’t had anywhere near the £16m interest from France since then.
In fact, over the last few seasons we’ve seen a downturn in Alfredo Morelos’ form that sees the striker struggle for fitness, form and in making a proper impact at the highest level.
Jonathan David and Alfredo Morelos careers in contrast
Now, all the signs are suggesting the South American forward will be out the door come the summer. Perhaps it’s long overdue.
Conversely, Jonathan David is now proving that initial Lille outlay a smart one as he tops the Ligue 1 scoring charts alongside PSG’s Kylian Mbappe with 20 strikes and four assists.
But beyond that the striker has also been valued by €65m (£57.5m) by Fabrizio Romano amid interest from across Europe’s top leagues.
It’s quite a contrast from the fortunes of Alfredo Morelos at Rangers who – whilst scoring a double in the 5-2 win over St Mirren at the weekend – is threatening to go out with a whimper at Ibrox.
The Colombian may well be asking what might’ve been had he made the switch with Les Dogues even lifting the title the same season as Rangers.
Now, staring at release from Rangers and a stint at one of the high-paying but not so popular leagues around Europe and the Middle East, the contrast in trajectory between both players’ careers is interesting.
Jonathan David, 23, has clearly kicked on ever since signing for Lille in 2020 whilst Alfredo Morelos, for whatever reason, has seen his career stagnate since a move to France collapsed.
