Despite only being at the club for three years, Robin Van Persie holds a very special place among the Manchester United fanbase.

Alongside Wayne Rooney, the Dutchman dragged Man United to the 2012/13 Premier League title in his first season at the club.

The former Arsenal striker netted 26 goals and provided nine assists in 38 league games that campaign, a performance that’ll go down in the history books.

With the brilliance of Van Persie in mind, let’s take a look at a striker target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe who could be United’s best centre-forward since the fine Dutch finisher.

Man Utd’s search for a new centre forward

According to a report from I, Man United are keen on the idea of signing Jonathan David from Lille this summer.

It’s said that the Red Devils are ‘stepping up their search’ and that contact has been made with the Canadian's representatives.

The all-clear has already been granted for the striker to leave the Ligue 1 club, which is why United will have to battle Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Aston Villa for his signature.

Offers are yet to be made, but a fee of around £25m could be enough to secure his services, which looks like an absolute steal of a price.

Why David would be an excellent signing for Man United

Since leaving Gent for Lille in 2020, David has been regarded as one of the finest centre-forwards in France.

Over the years, he’s proved to be a reliable goalscorer who’s deadly in front of goal, and that was once again the case last season.

In Ligue 1, the Canadian started 30 times, playing as a sole striker in a 4-2-3-1 system, which is where he’d feature at Old Trafford.

Across these matches, the number nine scored an impressive 19 goals while also providing four assists, with only Kylian Mbappe scoring more in the entire division.

As you can see from the table, David is an extremely talented striker who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net, with an impressive record of 84 goals in 183 appearances for Lille.

When compared to the recent centre forward's performance at the Red Devils, it’s quite clear that he’s a far superior finisher, and his overperformance of xG in the league last season further highlights how clinical he truly is.

However, it’s not just at his club where David thrives, as his record of 26 goals and 16 assists in 48 appearances for Canada is incredible, and his numbers will be "mind-blowing" if he continues at this rate, as per football scout Jacek Kulig.

On top of being Lille’s all-time top scorer and being an “elite finisher,” in the words of journalist Ed Aarons, David’s overall game is also rather complete.

The 24-year-old completed 1.1 key passes, 2.7 progressive passes, has has taken 31.08 touches per 90 over the last year, proving he overs more than just goals. Rasmus Hojlund, for context, only managed 1.19 progressive passes.

Overall, it’s clear that David is the definition of a goalscorer, the type of player who will always step up in crucial moments when called upon, and for that reason alone, he could become United’s best striker since Van Persie. He certainly looks more prolific than the likes of Hojlund and Lukaku.

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