Jonathan David still has plenty to prove to Newcastle United before a transfer becomes a no-brainer, according to club legend Alan Shearer. The Lille forward is the latest forward to become of interest to Eddie Howe's side.

A high-ranking Newcastle employee was present at Lille's Ligue 1 win over Nice on Friday with David being watched. The 25-year-old played the full game but failed to score.

He did manage an assist, ending a three-game run without contributing to the scoresheet. However, with 11 goals in the French top division already this season and another six in other competitions, David remains a player in immense demand.

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His agent, Nikos Mavromaras, has been stirring interest for some time with David now able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement ahead of a summer transfer. His current deal in France ends on June 30.

David is widely expected to leave Lille at the end of the season and Newcastle are among a host of teams looking at him as an option. Shearer, the gold standard for Newcastle strikers, is impressed with what he has seen so far.

Speaking to Amazon Prime on Tuesday night, he explained: "I like a bit of everything. He doesn't mind coming short, he wants the ball to feet and you mentioned his goalscoring record. For the last few years he's got 20+ in Ligue 1. [He is] Obviously a threat.

"Whether he's good enough, I think he has to go to another level if that's going to attract interest from the top four in the Premier League. But where better to put himself in the shop window than at Anfield tonight and against on of the world's best centre-backs in Van Dijk?"

David has been one of the most reliable scorers across Europe since his move from Belgium in 2020. He has bagged 101 times in 213 Lille appearances along with 25 assists. In Ligue 1 that record is just as impressive, standing at 82 goals and 13 assists in 164 total outings.

For Shearer, there is still more he needs to do in order to become one of the top players on the continent - but he is showing signs of improvement. "I think you've always got a point to prove, there's no doubt," the pundit added. "He'll know that bigger clubs are looking at him, he'll know that his contract's coming up at the end of this season. I said to Jon Champion [commentator] before now whether the club look at him and decide to give him a new deal with a clause in, then at least they'll get something.

"If they can keep hold of him for the final four or five months of the season or if they decide to cash in on him this month remains to be seen. But there's without doubt a talent in there. I think from last year to this year he's experienced, he's learnt a little more about the game, 25 years of age, so he's still, I think, got time on his side but he's about to come into the peak years of his career."