Jonathan David's Agent Warns Against Arsenal Move as Gent Hold Out for League-Record Transfer Fee

​Gent striker Jonathan David has been warned against moving to Arsenal this summer by his agent, who says joining Mikel Arteta's side could be 'a step too big' for the Canada international.

The 20-year-old has scored 18 goals in the Belgian first division this season and is leading the race to win the Golden Boot, while across all competitions David has been directly involved in 32 goals in 2019/20.

David's performances have attracted interest from a handful of clubs across Europe's top five leagues and he looks set to leave at the end of the season, but his agent Nick Mavromaras believes a summer move to Arsenal could be 'a step too big' for the striker at this stage in his career.

"Without a doubt, Jonathan is ready for the next step," Mavromaras told Het Laatste Nieuws. "Gent has boosted his career, the club did a lot for him. I understand that they would like to keep him longer, but Jonathan wants to go ahead. 

"The Belgian league is fantastic for young players, but the moment for the next step arrives and this will come in the summer.

"His final target is to play for one of the five best clubs in the world. But for now, we have to stay humble. The next step in his career can’t be too big. 

"For example, Arsenal. There we speak about the top five in the Premier League. The next step has to be an intelligent one. There, this would possibly be a step too big at the moment. 

"The whole package has to be right. An intermediate step can be better sometimes."

As well as links with Arsenal, David has also been mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Inter - with the Canada international's price tag reportedly set at €25m.

But Gent's director of football Michel Louwagie has confirmed the club will only accept a fee which breaks the Jupiler Pro League's transfer record, which is currently set at €25m following Youri Tielemans' move to Monaco in 2017.

"In January, a record offer was on the table, but we turned it down. Our target is to keep this team together, even beyond the summer," Louwagie said, quoted by transfermarkt. "We extended the contract with David until 2023 for a good reason. 

"It’s wonderful that we have a top scorer in David, but most of all, we want to keep him. In any case, we won’t let such a player leave for €25m."

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