The highly regarded Canadian forward had been linked to the move to England but will instead continue his development in Ligue 1
Jonathan David explained why he turned down Premier League offers after completing his € 30m (£ 27m / $ 35m) transfer from Gent to Lille this week.
The Canadian striker was followed by Arsenal, while the interest of Manchester United and Leeds was also reported.
But after scoring 30 league goals in 60 games in two seasons in Belgium, 20-year-old David wanted to move somewhere where he could continue his growth on the pitch rather than on the bench.
“Everyone knows that the Premier League is a high quality league,” said David Northern France.
“But my choice was dictated by the fact that, above all, I wanted to be sure of playing.”
In Lille, David will directly replace Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian forward has joined Napoli on a € 50m (£ 45m / $ 59m) contract after scoring 18 goals in 38 games for Lille.
David seems to appreciate the challenge and says he had long ago decided to move.
“My choice was made quite early,” he said. “But I understand that it took a while to finalize between the two clubs.
“Gent wanted to keep me another season, but I made my choice and they respected it.
“I always knew it would be done, even if it would take some time. I really liked the sports project that Luis Campos (Lille’s sporting director) and the club management sold me.
“This is what really encouraged me to join Lille. In fact, I especially wanted to join a club where I know I will continue to play and improve. There is a very good team here with excellent players. “
David also dismissed any suggestions that he would be under pressure after becoming Lille’s all-time record.
“It’s an honor that they rated me so highly, but it doesn’t put any pressure on me,” said David.
“It’s football, that’s it. For me the only important thing will be to perform on the pitch. It’s that simple!
“Everyone is under pressure. But I’m a calm person and this helps me a lot. “
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