Jonathan David joins Atletico de Madrid from Juventus on season-long loan

Jonathan David has joined Atletico de Madrid from Juventus on a season-long loan, with the La Liga club holding an option to buy the Canada international at the end of the agreement.

The 26-year-old forward spent only one season in Italy after moving to Juventus, making 47 appearances and contributing eight goals and five assists. He now returns to Spain, where he will compete for a place in Atletico’s attack as the club add another significant player to their squad.

David is the seventh major signing made by Atletico de Madrid this summer. The club have also brought in Morten Hjulmand, Kang-in Lee, Cristian Romero, Alejandro Grimaldo and Arnau Ortiz.

At Atletico, David is expected to compete primarily with Argentina forward Julian Alvarez. The club decided to keep Alvarez despite his wish to move to Barcelona during the summer and strong interest from Arsenal.

The move gives David an opportunity to rediscover the form that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after forwards during his time with Lille in Ligue 1. He established himself as a prolific scorer in France before joining Juventus ahead of last season, but his first campaign in Italy produced a more modest return across his 47 appearances.

David remains Canada’s all-time leading goalscorer and will hope regular involvement in Atletico’s attack can help him reproduce the level he showed at Lille. His loan includes a purchase option, meaning Atletico could make the transfer permanent if his performances meet the club’s expectations during the season.

The agreement also brings an end, at least temporarily, to David’s first year with Juventus. His eight goals and five assists during that period formed part of a campaign in which he featured regularly, but the Italian club have now allowed him to continue his career in La Liga.

For Atletico, the arrival of David adds further competition in an attacking group that includes Alvarez, while also giving the club the flexibility of assessing the Canada forward before deciding whether to complete a permanent transfer.

The deal is one of a series of moves made by the La Liga side during the summer as they continue to reshape their squad. Hjulmand, Kang-in Lee, Romero, Grimaldo and Ortiz had already arrived before David became the latest major addition.

Elsewhere, Brighton have signed Chema Andres from Stuttgart and added Millwall’s Femi Azeez.