Liverpool should beat Bayern Munich to 134-goal free transfer Michael Edwards already considered

Liverpool already has six senior forwards but in 2025, it cannot be ruled out that another one might be required. And in red-hot Lille striker Jonathan David, the ideal option could be available for nothing.

According to beIN Sports, Bayern Munich has joined Barcelona and AC Milan in the race for the player. But as a free agent, Liverpool should be in the hunt for the Canadian too.

Still only 24 but already having scored 134 senior goals, Liverpool and then-sporting director Michael Edwards had David on a list of options when it signed Diogo Jota in 2020, according to the ECHO. Now a much more seasoned forward, capable of playing that similar number nine role, his contract expires at the end of the season.

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So far in this campaign, David has scored 13 goals and assisted another two in 19 appearances. His form for one of the top teams in the Champions League is not going unnoticed and he is now at the age when Liverpool tends to pounce.

Considering there is a question mark over Jota's injury history — his current issue was unfortunate but the Portugal forward does tend to miss a lot of games — and Darwin Nunez's inconsistent finishing, David could prove to be a smart addition. Like Federico Chiesa, he would be arriving as a little-to-no-risk option with plenty of upsides.

It is not just this year that the New York-born striker has excelled, either. David bagged an outlandish 18 goals for Gent in 27 Jupiler Pro League appearances as a 19-year-old. Last season, David scored 26 times and laid on another nine for his teammates. In total, he has 97 goals in 202 appearances for his Ligue 1 employer.

If Liverpool needs another forward in 2025, signing one with that kind of record for free seems like a no-brainer. Proven in Europe, his Champions League record of four goals in three matches against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus speaks for itself.

Jesse Marsch, who coaches him at international level and previously worked with Erling Haaland and Dominik Szoboszlai, recently described him as "the most intelligent footballer I’ve ever coached" during a press conference.

"I can adjust to a lot of systems; I’ve played with two (forwards) and as a lone striker," David told The Athletic this week. "But having that freedom to move around, to be a bit everywhere, would be preferred. In that sense, I can get the attention off me and find the space to make the difference."

That — and his goalscoring record and perfect injury history — certainly make him sound like the ideal Liverpool signing. And if he can be snapped up without the need for a transfer fee, that can only be another big tick in his box.