Chelsea have pulled out of the race to sign Lille forward Jonathan David, according to Calciostyle.it.

The Italian website claims that the Blues’ interest in the Canadian international has cooled after securing the services of Christopher Nkunku, leaving the way clear for AC Milan to recruit the striker.

It is a somewhat surprising decision for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Nkunku is not expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge until the end of the season so, unless they can bring forward the deal to January, manager Graham Potter won’t be able to call upon his services.

Secondly, the ACL injury sustained by Armando Broja means Chelsea will undoubtedly be looking to strengthen their forward line next month and David could be a realistic target, with Lille believed to have made him available for around €50m (£43.5m).

It could simply be the case that the Blues have moved on to other options. The likes of Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko, Atletico Madrid pair Joao Felix & Matheus Cunha, as well as Barcelona’s Memphis Depay, have all been mentioned as potential alternatives.